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Frontispiece.  MADAME  SANS-GENE  RESCUING  ALICE. 


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AADAAC 


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HISTORICAL  RoAANCE  op  THE  REVo- 

LUTIONTHE  CONSULATE  §  THE  EMPIRE 

BY 

VICToRIEN  5ARDQU 

IN  COLLA60RATION  WITH 

EAILE  MOREAU 

AND 

EDAOMD  LEPELLET1ER 


TRANSLATED  BY 
A  CURTI5  BOND 


PATRlE 


HEW  YORK 

DRALLOPPUSLISHIHG  CO. 
Io95 


Copyright,  1894,  by 
DRALLOP   PUBLISHING  CO. 


Photo-engravings  and  Electrotypes  by  THE  CAXTON  PRESS 

F.  A.  RINGLER  Co.,  New  York  New  York 


SRLF 
URL 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I.  The  Fricassee 15 

II.  The  Prediction     ......  22 

III.  The  Last  Night  of  Royalty    ...  31 

IV.  A  Chevalier  of  the  Poignard  37 

V.  The  Bed-Chamber   of   Mam'zelle    Sans- 
Gene  ......  49 

VI.  Little  Henriot 53 

VII.  The  Lodger  at  the  Hotel  de  Metz        .  63 

VIII.  The  Pretty  Sergeant  .....  72 

IX.  The  Indebtedness  to  Madame  Sans-Gene  78 

X.  The  Intercepted  Letter       ....  85 

XI.  In  the  Home  of  the  Fruit-dealer  .         .  91 

XII.  The  Young  Lady  of  Saint-Cyr  ...  99 

XIII.  The  First  Defeat  for  Napoleon      .         .  107 

XIV.  The  Siege  of  Verdun in 

XV.  Madame  Sans-Gene  on  Secret  Service  .  115 

XVI.  The  Deserted  One 125 

XVII.  The  Arrival  of  the  Volunteers       .         .  132 

XVIII.  The  Envoy  from  Brunswick       .         .         .  136 

XIX.  The  Oath  of  Beaurepaire        .         .         .  141 

XX.  Leonard's  Mission        .....  149 


VIII       

PAGE 

XXI.   The  Camp  of  the  Invaders         .         .  153 

XXII.  Catharine's  Second  Charge  .         .  .     161 

XXIII.  The  Death  of  a  Hero         ...  165 

XXIV.  On  the  Borders  of   Oblivion         .  .173 
XXV.  Jemmapes     .                  .                  .         .  179 

XXVI.  The  Nuptial  Mass 188 

XXVII.  The  Debt  of  the  Wounded        .         .  200 

XXVIII.  Before  the  Battle    .       '-.         .         .  .211 

XXIX.  The  Victory  of  Song          .         .         .  217 

XXX.  Yeyette    ...         .         .         .  .222 

XXXI.  Madame   Bonaparte    .         .         .         .  229 

XXXII.  The  Sword  of  the  Pyramids         .  .     238 

XXXIII.  The  Dancing-Master  .         .         .         .  243 

XXXIV.  The  Clap  of  Thunder     ....     250 

XXXV.  The    Committee    of     the    Rue    Bourg 

1'Abbe         .         .         .         .         .  259 

XXXVI.  The  Plan  of  Leonidas    .         .         .  .264 

XXXVII.  The  Glory  of  that  Time    ...  268 

XXXVIII.  Lefebvre   Seeks  Information          .  .     276 

XXXIX.  The  Entry  into  Berlin         ...  285 

XL.  The  Word  of  a  Prussian       .         .  .     296 

XLI.  Before  Danzig     .....  306 

XLII.  Josephine's  Secret  .         .         .         .  .     311 

XLIII.  Catharine's   Dessert     .  318 

» 

XLIV.  A  Love  History      .  .     325 

XLV.  Old  Memories      .                           .         .  332 

XLVI.  "Long  Live  the  Emperor  '  .         .  .     342 


IX 


PAGE 

XLVII.  Napoleon's  Secret        .                  .         .  351 

XLVIII.  The  Loves  of  Napoleon         .         .         .  357 

XLIX.  The  Duke 367 

L.  With    the   Empress          ....  372 

LI.  Catharine's  Revenge  .         .         .         .  380 

LII.  The  Russian  Alliance    ....  384 

LIII.  The  Austrian  Alliance         .         .         .  395 

LIV.  The  Divorce 398 

LV.  Lefebvre    Rebukes  Napoleon     .         .  412 

LVI.  The  Heart  Aflame          .         .         .         .418 

LVII.  The  Dream  of  the  Archduchess        .  423 

LVIII.  The  Imperial  Message  ....  433 

LIX.  Napoleon's  Jealousy   ....  438 

LX.  Fouche's  Disgrace 449 

LXI.  The  Return 455 

LXII.  The  Faith  of  the  Washerwoman          .  464 

LXIII.  "You  Lie,  Monsieur"         .         .         .  476 

LXIV.  The  Debt  of  the  Duchess  481 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Madame  Sans-Gene  rescuing  Alice  .  .  Frontispiece 
The  Fricassee  at  the  Vauxhall  .  .  .  .  17 
"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mam'zelle  !"  .  .  .  -19 
Catharine  leapt  upon  the  table  ....  23 
"And  I,  Citizen  Sorcerer  !  "  hazarded  Catharine  .  29 
Catharine  looked  from  the  window  ...  34 
Lefebvre  on  his  way  to  the  Tuileries  .  .  -36 
Standing  upon  every  step  were  two  imposing  Swiss  39 
And  unlocking  the  door  she  threw  it  back  .  .  42 

Lefebvre    rushed    in    followed    by    two   or   three 

guards,  etc. -49 

"  Your  life  belongs  to  me,  you  must  live"  .         .         59 
"  I  have  some  washing  I  must  take  home  "  .64 

Was  led  up  to  the  windows  at  regular  intervals    .         70 
The  young  sergeant  made  a  military  salute      .         .     74 
Catharine  cleverly  slid  from  the  embrace  of  Napoleon     81 
He  was  overwhelmed  with  the  profoundest  surprise     88 
Laying  his  hand  affectionately  upon  her  shoulder        92 
The  Duel      .........     97 

Walking  beside  him  was  a  young  girl  .  .  .  101 
He  seized  her  hand  and  kissing  it  ....  109 


XII      

PAGE 

The  three  touched  their  glasses     ....       120 

The  Cantiniere 123 

When  Baron  Lowendaal  stepped  through  the  door     126 
Beaurepaire  looked  savagely  at  the  officials      .         .   146 
She  served  a  cannon        .         ....         .         .       148 

"Who  goes  there?"     .         .         .         .         .         .         -154 

Catharine  uttered  a  cry  of  terror   .         .         .         .        167 

Napoleon  turned  with  an  irritated  expression          .   175 
"  That  fellow's  drum.     I  borrowed  it ".         .         .       186 
He  was  engaged  with  the  Marquis     ....   189 

"  The  first  to  put  his  hand  on  me  is  a  dead  man  "       203 
Violette  with  the  captured  drum        ....  206 

Catharine  found  little  Henriot  beneath  the  ruins        221 
Madame  Sans-Gene  and  the  Dancing-Master   .         .  249 
The  Emperor  stopped  before  the  drum-major       .       257 
He  lifted  a  trap  in  the  floor        .         .         .         .         .  267 

Napoleon  appeared  before  Jena      .         .         .         .271 

Napoleon  stopped  at  the  furthermost  point       .         .  273 
Napoleon,  conscious  again  of  his  waiting  secretaries  284 
With  his  ear  against  the  keyhole    .         ...         .       302 

To  leap  into  the  abandoned  trenches        .         .         .  323 
"  Climb  up  on  my  back "         .         .  •'.,.,     .         .       334 
"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !"         .....  348 

Napoleon  would  carry  the  child  on  his  back  .  354 
She  concealed  her  eyes  with  her  hand  .  .  .  365 
"I  make  you  this  day  Duke  of  Danzig"  .  .  370 
"You  do  not  remember  me,  Duchess?"  .  .  .  378 


XIII       

"  Don't  you  dare  insult  the  soldiers "     .         .  .       382 

"Ah,  sire,  with  Magdeburg"       .                  .  .  394 

Napoleon  with  a  light  in  his  hand         .         .  .       400 

"The  king,  my  uncle  ;  my  aunt,  the  queen"  .         .  408 

"  I  will  show  you  the  Empress's  trousseau  "  .  .       410 

The  husband  and  wife  embraced  with  ardor  .         .  421 
She  was  seized  by  strong  arms        ....       431 

"  Sire,  I  have  come  to  demand  justice  "  .         .  444 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  monsieur?  "         .  .       448 

Took  a  pinch  of  snuff         ....  .  454 
She  approached  the  mirror     .....       456 

He  seized  the  coal  tongs  from  the  chimney  .         .  465 

And  Napoleon,  taking  Catharine's  hand         .  .       469 

Napoleon  took  the  letter  from  her  hand    .  .         .  472 

"Sire,  some  one  is  in  the  gallery".         .        '.  .       474 

The  capture  of  Neipperg  in  the  palace      .  .         .  479 


MADAME    SANS-GENE. 


THE    FRICASSEE. 

THE  Rue  de  Bondy  was  brilliant  with  the  glitter  of  a 
thousand  lamps.  The  Vauxhall,  most  popular  of  resorts, 
was  dazzling  with  its  own  illumination  that  the  crowds 
might  the  readier  find  entrance  to  the  ball  going  on 
within. 

These  were  the  grand  days  of  '92.  Louis  XVI.  was  a 
royal  dummy,  but  the  liberty  cap  had  already  dropped 
upon  his  head  and  would  soon  settle  down  on  his 
shoulders. 

Paris  was  wild  with  revolt  and  mutterings  of  revolu- 
tion hung  upon  the  air. 

Robespierre,  Marat  and  Barbaroux  had  already  con- 
ferred and  while  they  could  not  agree  upon  a  chief, 
they  were  as  one  upon  the  infamies  of  royalty,  upon 
their  great  duty  to  sack  the  Tuileries,  the  fortress  of 
the  crown. 

They  only  awaited  the  battalions  from  Marseilles,  their 
arrival  would  be  the  signal  to  uprise. 

The  King  of  Prussia  and  the  Emperor  of  Austria 
were  preparing  to  throw  their  armies  into  revolutionized 
France,  counting  on  the  treason  and  dissensions  of  the 
people  to  make  rosy  their  path  to  the  capital. 


Paris  realized  the  danger,  and  responded  to  the  defi- 
ance of  the  Powers  by  organization. 

But  Paris  is  ever  a  volcano  with  two  craters,  pleasure 
bursts  forth  with  fury. 

They  were  arming  in  the  suburbs,  they  laid  wagers  in 
the  clubs  and  at  the  Commune,  they  distributed  car- 
tridges to  the  National  Guard,  they  made  all  the  prepara- 
tions for  strife  without  losing  their  taste  for  pleasure 
or  their  love  for  dance. 

On  the  ruined  walls  of  the  Bastille  some  cynic  had 
written,  "  Here  we  dance  !  " 

Nor  was  it  all  irony. 

Revolution  was  accomplished  to  the  air  of  the  "Mar- 
seillaise "  and  to  the  step  of  the  "Carmagnole." 

To  name  the  public  balls  open  in  Paris  would 
exhaust  a  page;  they  danced  at  the  Hotel  d'Aligre,  on 
the  Rue  d'Orleans-Saint-Honore;  at  the  Hotel  Biron, 
in  the  Pavilion  de  Hanover;  at  the  Pavilion  de  1'Echi- 
quier,  near  the  Hotel  de  Longueville;  in  the  Rue  des 
Filles-Saint-Thomas  at  the  Modestie;  at  the  Calypso 
ball;  in  the  Faubourg  Montmartre  at  the  Porcherons;  at 
the  Courtille,  at  the  Vauxhall,  Rue  de  Bondy,  where  we 
are  going  with  the  reader  and  the  rest  of  Paris. 

In  the  grand  salon  of  the  Vauxhall,  that  evening 
towards  the  end  of  July,  1792,  a  great  crowd  surged 
and  pressed  around  the  youthful  dancers,  whose  agile 
movements  and  reckless  intensity  earned  frequent 
applause.  Showy  costumes  mingled  with  those  plain 
to  poverty,  the  exposed  legs  of  the  sans-culotte  struggled 
in  the  wild  fricassee  with  the  military  trousers  of  a 
guardsman,  uniforms  were  plentiful,  the  dark  coats 
being  often  showered  with  the  sparkling  powder  from 
some  fair  head  that  had  there  reclined,  silk  and  satin 
gowns  were  flung  around  snowy  shoulders,  only  to  dis- 
play tempting  linen,  draped  high  and  low  with  delicate 
lace,  other  gowns  less  rich  in  their  material  rose  too 
often  above  the  wearer's  head  with  picturesque  abandon. 


It  was  an  inviting  scene  and  in  its  most  inviting  midst, 
conspicuous  by  his  giant  height  and  amiable  counte- 
nance, a  young  man  strolled  leisurely  to  and  fro,  the 
target  for  amorous  shafts  from  the  eyes  of  pretty  girls 


and  those  of  envy  from  less-favored  rivals.  He  wore 
the  coquettish  costume  of  the  French  Guard,  with  the 
cocarde  in  blue  and  red  of  the  Parisian  municipality, 
and  upon  his  arm  there  rested  the  silver  symbol  of  his 
rank — sergeant. 


i8 


His  steps  retraced  their  path  with  tiresome  persis- 
tency; he  moved  but  slowly  and  always  near  to  the 
charming  object  in  muslin  that  attracted  him  to  the 
spot. 

"Why  don't  you  speak  to  her,  Lefebvre?"  one  of  his 
companions  finally  exclaimed.  "  She  is  not  impreg- 
nable !  " 

"And  perhaps  she  knows  you  already,"  continued 
another. 

"  If  you  don't  try  it,  I  shall,"  the  third  said  in  a  tone 
of  mock  threatening. 

"  You  know  very  well  she  is  waiting  for  you.  There 
now,  they  are  dancing  the  fricassee.  Ask  her  to  join 
them,"  said  the  first  who  had  spoken. 

"Can  you  believe  it,  Bernadotte,"  Lefebvre  replied, 
"a  French  soldier  who  has  never  quailed  in  the  face  of 

the  enemy,  now  in  the  face  of  a  beauty .  But  I'll 

try  it." 

Leaving  his  companions  Sergeant  Lefebvre,  with  that 
nervousness  of  movement  indicative  of  conquered  tim- 
idity or  sudden  resolve  in  the  permanence  of  which  no 
confidence  is  felt,  turned  directly  towards  the  waiting 
beauty  and,  with  arms  extended,  said  in  his  most  ami- 
able tone: 

"  Mam'zelle,  will  you  favor  me  with  the  fricassee  ?" 

But  the  maiden  threw  at  him  a  scornful  glance  and 
answered: 

"  Well,  what  impudence  !  You  can  dance  the  fricassee 
by  yourself  ?  " 

The  sergeant  recoiled  a  step  under  this  crushing  dis- 
charge, and  bringing  his  hand  to  his  jaunty  cap,  he 
replied  in  a  very  humble  manner: 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mam'zelle  !  " 

"  Oh,  there  is  no  offense,  my  boy,"  responded  the 
peppery  maid,  "there  is  no  offense;  it  will  just  serve  to 
teach  you  a  lesson,  another  time  you  will  know  enough 
to  mind  your  own  business." 


I9   — 

And  at  this  she  rippled   forth   a  musical  laugh,  while 
she  turned  her  back  to  the  face  of  the  discomfited  guards- 


man and  whispered  to  her  companions  standing  near  by: 

"  He  isn't  half  bad  after  all,  is  he  ? " 

Bernadotte,  with  jealous  eye,  had  followed   the  ser- 
geant's attempt  at  a  conquest  and  the  repulse  that  met 


Lefebvre's  advances  were  rather  pleasing  than  other- 
wise to  his  comrade.  His  face  was  wreathed  in  smiles, 
half  banter  and  half  satisfaction,  as  he  approached  the 
undecided  sergeant,  whom  he  took  by  the  arm  and 
said: 

"  Come  on,  old  man,  come  with  us.  You  see  she 
doesn't  want  to  dance  with  you.  Or,  perhaps,  Made- 
moiselle doesn't  dance  the  fricassee  " 

"What  is  that  to  you  whether  I  dance  it  or  not?" 
sputtered  the  lively  stranger  who  overheard  the  sneer- 
ing reflection  upon  her  social  acquirements  and  turned 
full  of  fire  to  resent  it.  "  I  can  dance  the  fricassee,  and 
I  dance  it  with  whom  I  please.  I  don't  dance  it  with 
you,  for  example!  But  if  your  comrade  there  invites 
me  politely — why — well — I  don't  know  but  that  I  might 
join  in  with  the  volunteers.  Of  course,  if  there  is  no 
hard  feeling.  Is  there  any,  sergeant  ?  " 

A  coy  glance  from  her  large  eyes,  and  her  hands 
extended  towards  Lefebvre  were  more  than  he  could 
resist,  even  though  he  felt  disposed,  and  so  he  seized 
the  offered  reparation  exclaiming: 

"  Hard  feelings!  Not  a  bit  of  it,  Mademoiselle!  Again 
I  beseech  your  forgiveness  for  my  intrusion.  It  is  not 
all  my  fault  I  assure  you;  it  is  partly  the  fault  of  my 
comrade  here;  now  " 

The  girl  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  further  explana- 
tion of  the  young  man's  shortcomings,  but  suddenly 
interrupted  him  with  the  exclamation: 

"  Say,  ain't  you  an  Alsatian  ?" 

"  No,  I  am  a  native  of  the  Upper  Rhine.  I  was  born 
at  Ruffach." 

"Why,  what  luck!  I  am  from  Saint  Amarin." 

"  Then  you  are  a  countrywoman  of  mine  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  you  a  countryman  of  mine!  " 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  Catharine  Upscher,  washerwoman,  Rue  Royal,  cor- 
ner of  the  Rue  des  Orties  Saint  Honore." 


And  I — I  am  Lefebvre,  ex-sergeant  of  the  Guards, 
at  present  one  of  the  militia." 

"Then  come,  my  countryman,  we  must  be  friends, 
we  will  dance  that  fricassee  to  which  we  owe  our 
acquaintance." 

She  seized  his  hand  without  another  word  and  in  a 
moment  they  were  one  of  the  whirling  crowd  of  reck- 
less dancers. 

As  they  turned  in  wild  disregard  of  everyone  else 
they  came  in  violent  contact  with  a  young  man  who 
stood  indifferently  watching  the  merriment  he  appeared 
to  have  no  part  in.  His  face  was  very  pale,  almost 
sallow,  his  hair  was  long  and  drooped  over  his  ears  like 
a  veil,  his  expression  was  shrewd  and  keen  and  he  was 
clothed  in  a  long  Hebraic  cassock.  As  he  recoiled 
slightly  with  the  shock  of  the  collision,  he  said  in  a 
shrill  voice: 

"  Ah,  ha,  Catharine,  so  you  have  captured  the 
Guards,  eh  ?  " 

"Do  you  know  this  Catharine?"  inquired  Berna- 
dotte,  who  at  the  moment  came  near  the  sallow  youth. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  that  honor,"  replied  he  of  the  eccle- 
siastical habit,  "  she  is  my  washerwoman,  a  good 
washer,  a  good  girl,  brave,  womanly,  and  virtuous,  her 
heart  in  her  hand  and  her  tongue  perpetually  in  motion. 
Through  all  our  quarter,  on  account  of  her  frank  speech 
and  her  guileless  manners,  she  is  known  as  Mam'zelle 
Sans-Gene"1 

The  blare  of  the  orchestra  drowned  every  other  sound 
and  the  rest  of  the  conversation  was  lost  in  the  joyous 
tumult  of  the  fricassee. 

1  Sans-Gene — without  restraint,  free,  familiar. 

(At  this  writing,  November,  1894,  the  famous  Vauxhall  is  being  de- 
molished to  make  room  for  modern  buildings.) 


22 


II. 


THE     PREDICTION. 

THE  dance  was  concluded  and  Sergeant  Lefebvre 
conducted  his  fair  companion  to  her  seat.  His  ready 
wit  and  her  facile  tongue  smoothed  away  the  frowns  of 
anger  that  erstwhile  sat  upon  their  brows,  and  now,  as 
they  threaded  their  difficult  path  through  the  turbulent 
throng,  they  appeared  as  two  lovers  rather  than  as 
acquaintances  whose  friendship  began  but  a  few 
moments  before  with  an  interchange  of  cutting  per- 
sonalities. 

The  night  was  warm,  and  as  his  charming  partner 
cooled  her  flushed  face  with  a  convenient  fan,  Lefebvre 
suggested  that  they  sit  at  a  table  near  by  and  enjoy  the 
ices  and  refreshing  drinks  with  which  the  busy  waiters 
were  laden  down. 

"  Accepted  !  "  Catharine  cried  aloud,  jumping  to  her 
feet,  and  then  as  if  in  second  thought,  she  hesitated  and 
added,  "  Oh,  dear,  I  have  no  manners  at  all;  I  should 
have  said  that  much  slower,  but  you  seem  to  be  a  nice 
fellow  and  somehow  I  don't  want  to  refuse  you — and 
then,  besides,  that  fricassee  has  given  me  an  awful  thirst. 
Come  on  ! " 

They  reached  the  coveted  seats  only  a  step  in  advance 
of  several  other  couples  making  for  the  same  goal,  and 
Catharine  spread  herself  over  the  superfluous  chair  that 
might,  she  thought,  offer  an  invitation  to  some  one  else 
to  join  them. 

"  What  will  you  have  ? "  she  demanded,  at  the  same 
time  hissing  through  her  teeth  to  attract  the  attention 
of  a  passing  waiter. 

"  I  thought,  perhaps,  my  friends  would  join  us," 
Lefebvre  explained,  to  account  for  the  minute's  hesita- 


tion  after  they  had  reached  the  chairs;  "you  see  in  the 
militia,    as    in    the    Guards,    we     like    to    invite    our 

friends  " 

"Why  certainly,  certainly  !     I  understand,  your  com- 


rades  ?     Eh  !     Well,  invite  them,  of  course.     Where  are 
they?     I  will  call  them." 

And   without  a   moment's  hesitation  Catharine  leapt 
upon  the  table,  and  raising  her  arms  in  the  direction  of 


24     

the  three  guardsmen  who  were  standing  a  little  distance 
away,  regarding  the  couple  with  raillery  in  their  eyes 
and  on  their  tongue,  she  shouted  at  the  top  of  her  voice: 

"  Hello,  hello  !  Come  here,  you  boys,  don't  you  want 
to  eat  and  drink  like  other  people  ?  Come  here  where 
we  are  ! " 

The  three  guardsmen,  attracted  by  this  informal 
method  of  invitation,  lost  no  time  in  its  acceptance  and 
moved  over  towards  the  hospitable  board. 

"  Come  along,  Bernadotte  !  "  one  of  them  said,  seeing 
that  he  held  back. 

"No,  I  want  to  say  a  few  words  to  the  Citizen," 
Bernadotte  answered  in  a  surly  tone,  although,  as  a 
fact,  his  reason  was  but  an  excuse  to  avoid  meeting  the 
favored  Lefebvre,  whose  wooing  had  been  successful 
where  Bernadotte  wished  to  make  an  impression  him- 
self. And  so  he  separated  himself  from  his  associates, 
while  they  were  forced  to  point  him  out  to  Catharine 
and  the  sergeant,  as  he  stood  in  the  distance  near  the 
sallow-faced  young  man  and  a  new-comer,  who  had 
joined  him. 

"  He  wants  to  talk  to  the  Citizen,  does  he  ?"  Catharine 
sneered.  "  I  know  that  Citizen  and  he  knows  me,  well 
enough.  Heh,  Citizen  Fouche,  wont  you  come  here  ?" 

Fouche  disengaged  himself  from  his  friends  and 
joined  the  merry  party  at  the  table,  where  Lefebvre  was 
already  shouting  loudly  for  hot  wine  and  more  chairs. 

"  My  dear  Mam'zelle  Catharine,"  Fouche  gallantly 
murmured.  "I  am  delighted,  charmed  to  find  you  in 
the  company  of  these  valiant  defenders  of  our  good 
city  " 

But  before  he  could  say  more,  Catharine  pushed  a 
glass  of  wine  into  his  hand  and  bade  him  drink,  drink 
to  the  four  fighters  and  the  civilian. 

Catharine  and  Lefebvre,  with  the  meaningless  senti- 
ment born  of  a  new  love,  were  sipping  their  ordinaire 
from  the  one  glass  and  twining  their  arms  about  each. 


25     

other's  neck,  a  touch  of  human  nature  so  general  in  the 
Vauxhall  as  to  excite  no  remark  until  Lefebvre,  embold- 
ened by  the  wine  or  induced  by  the  tempting  lips  of 
the  voluptuous  damsel,  attempted  to  steal  a  kiss  only  to 
meet  the  palm  of  a  pretty  hand  and  feel  Catharine 
draw  away  from  him,  as  she  said: 

"  No,  my  countryman,  not  that.  I  will  laugh  and 
joke,  but  it  goes  no  further." 

Fouche  burst  into  boisterous  laughter. 

"Ah,  ha!  my  dear  militiaman,  you  didn't  expect  to 
find  such  virtue  in  a  washerwoman!  eh,  did  you,  now?" 
he  said. 

"Now  listen,"  Catharine  commanded,  "  you  Citizen 
Fouche,  you  have  trusted  me  with  your  washing  for 
three  months,  ever  since  you  came  from  Nantes;  have 
you  ever  heard  one  word  against  me?" 

"  Never!     Nothing!     Absolutely  nothing!  " 

"Very  well,  then,  I  consented  to  come  here  and  have 
a  little  pleasure,  to  dance  the  fricassee,  to  pass  the  time 
with  these  good  fellows  as  you  find  us,  but  that  is  all,  no 
one  has  ever  seen  the  inside  of  my  room.  My  shop  is 
open  to  the  world,  but  my  room — only  one  person  shall 
ever  have  the  key  to  that!  " 

"And  who  may  the  lucky  individual  be?"  asked 
Lefebvre,  twisting  his  mustache  and  tipping  back  in 
his  chair. 

"My  husband!"  responded  Catharine  with  fiery 
vehemence,  and  seizing  a  glass  she  held  it  aloft,  while 
witli  a  merry  laugh  she  looked  at  Lefebvre  and  asked, 
"  You  hear,  my  countryman,  what  do  you  say  to  that?  " 

"  I  say  that  is,  perhaps,  not  an  altogether  disagreeable 
condition,"  the  sergeant  answered  while  he  twisted  his 
mustache  more  furiously  than  before,  "  and  here  is  to 
you,  Mam'zelle  Sans-Gene!  " 

They  all  drank  heartily  to  this  toast,  and  as  they 
returned  their  glasses  to  the  table  their  attention  was 
attracted  by  a  singular-looking  man  slowly  approach- 


26       

ing  the  spot  where  they  sat.  He  wore  a  tall  hat  that 
ran  into  a  point,  his  figure  was  concealed  by  a  long 
black  robe  spangled  with  silver  stars,  with  blue  crosses 
and  with  vari-colored  comets  trailing  long  tails  of 
fiery  red. 

"  Here  comes  Fortunatus !  "  said  Bernadotte,  who 
joined  the  party.  "  He  is  a  fortune-teller.  What  do 
you  all  say  to  a  mild  adventure  ?" 

"Yes,  surely,"  exclaimed  Catharine.  "I  want  to 
know  my  destiny.  Call  him  over  here  !  " 

But  before  they  could  do  so  Fortunatus  stopped  at  a 
neighboring  table  where  three  young  men  were  seated. 

"  Now  who  are  those  fellows  he  has  spoken  to,"  asked 
Catharine,  indicating  with  a  nod  of  her  head  the  occu- 
pants of  the  adjoining  chairs. 

"  Oh,  I  know  one  of  them,  he  is  Andoche  Junot,  he 
holds  some  office  I  think,"  Bernadotte  replied. 

"  And  the  second  is  an  aristocrat,"  said  Lefebvre, 
"  his  name,  I  believe,  is  Pierre  de  Marmont,  he  lives  at 
Chatillon." 

"  And  the  third  ?  "  Fouche  inquired;  "  the  thin  young 
man  with  the  olive  complexion  and  the  deep  eyes.  I 
have  seen  him  somewhere,  but  where,  I  can't  re- 
member." 

"  You  have  seen  him  in  my  shop,  I  presume,"  said 
Catharine  blushing  slightly.  "  He  is  an  officer  of 
artillery,  and  he  lives  near  me,  at  the  Hotel  de  Patriotes, 
Rue  Royal-Saint-Roch." 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  is  the  Corsican  living  in  that  hotel," 
said  Fouche  with  a  satisfied  air  at  the  solution  of  the 
resemblance  that  puzzled  him,  "and  he  has  such  a 
droll  name,  this  client  of  yours.  Let  me  see,  it  is  Berna 
— Buna — Bina — no,  that  isn't  it.  I  declare  his  name 
has  escaped  me." 

"  Bonaparte!  "  said  Catharine. 

"Yes,  yes,  that's  it,  Bonaparte,  Timoleon,  I  believe?" 

"Napoleon!"  Catharine  replied,  "and  he  is  a  bright 


fellow,  I  tell  you.  Whoever  tries  to  impose  on  him  will 
have  a  hard  task." 

"  He  has  a  sorry  name,  this  Timeo — this  Napoleon, 
and  a  sorry  countenance.  A  name  like  that  can  never 
accomplish  anything.  But  stop,  the  fortune-teller  is 
about  to  speak  to  them.  Shall  we  listen  to  what  he 
says  ?  " 

Intent  upon  the  affairs  of  their  neighbors,  the  young 
people  leaned  far  over  towards  the  next  table,  and 
Catharine  impressed  by  the  presence  of  the  sorcerer, 
whispered  "mysteriously  in  Lefebvre's  ear: 

"I  hope  he  will  predict  good  fortune  for  Bonaparte, 
he  deserves  it,  that  young  man  there;  why,  he  has  four 
brothers  and  I  don't  know  how  many  sisters  and  he  is 
very  far  from  being  rich — so  far  that  I  have  never  had 
the  heart  to  present  my  bill  for  his  washing." 

Meanwhile  Fortunatus,  balancing  his  hat  by  its  point 
top,  studied  with  great  gravity  the  outstretched  hand  of 
the  youth  who  Bernadotte  called  Junot. 

"Thou,"  Fortunatus  groaned  forth  in  a  cavernous 
voice  supposed  to  be  an  echo  from  the  grave,  "  shalt 
have  a  finished  and  successful  career,  thou  shalt  be  the 
friend  of  a  great  man,  thou  shalt  be  with  him  in  his  vic- 
tories and  his  glory,  on  thy  head  shall  rest  a  ducal 
crown,  thy  triumphs  in  the  Midi  "- 

"Bravo,"  interrupted  the  happy  recipient  of  all  these 
favors,  "bravo,  I  can  actually  see  myself  on  half  pay 
already,  my  friend.  But  tell  me  after  all  this  glorious 
good  luck,  how  shall  I  die?" 

"  Fool !  "  exclaimed  the  sorcerer. 

"  The  devil,"  Marmont  cried,  interrupting  further  dis- 
closures touching  Junot's  future,  "the  beginning  of  your 
prophecy  is  much  better  than  the  ending.  But  what 
about  me,  am  I  destined  to  some  folly,  as  well  ? " 

"  No,"  the  sorcerer  replied  in  the  same  lugubrious 
tone,  "thy  life  shall  be  devoted  to  the  unhappiness  of 
thy  country  and  thyself — after  a  career  of  glory  and  of 


honor,  thou  shalt  desert  thy  leader,  prove  traitor  to  thy 
country,  and  thy  name  shall  be  uttered  in  the  same 
breath  as  that  of  Judas." 

"  Well,  you  favor  me  with  a  pleasant  future.  I  am 
certainly  honored,  but,  my  dear  old  man,  I  will  forgive 
you  if  you  will  tell  us  the  fortunes  of  our  comrade  here," 
and  Marmont  waved  his  hand  towards  Bonaparte,  but 
the  latter,  rising  from  his  chair,  brushed  the  sorcerer 
away  with  a  movement  of  his  arm,  saying: 

"I  do  not  care  to  hear  of  my  future  from  him,  I  al- 
ready know  it." 

Followed  by  his  friends  Bonaparte  made  his  way  to 
the  Vauxhall  garden,  some  distance  from  the  noise  and 
tumult  of  the  hall,  and  there,  stopping  on  the  marble 
walk,  he  looked  into  the  heavens  and  after  an  instant  of 
silent  contemplation,  he  asked  in  a  voice  trembling  with 
excitement: 

"Do  you  see  that  star?  No?  It  is  not  there,  you 
say  !  Ah,  well,  I  see  it — and  it  is  my  destiny  !  " 

The  fortune-teller  looked  after  the  retreating  friends 
and  then  turned  towards  the  table,  where  Lefebvre 
entertained  his  party.  Catharine  motioned  to  him  to 
approach,  and  with  his  eyes  fixed  intensely  on  the  two 
guardsmen,  he  warned  them  to  profit  by  their  youth  for 
their  days  were  numbered. 

"  And  how  shall  we  die  ? "  one  of  the  youths  demanded, 
one  who  on  the  tenth  of  the  next  month  fell  among  the 
heroes  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  shot  down  by  the  rifles  of 
the  Swiss. 

"  Before  the  palace  !  "  the  sorcerer  answered. 

"  True  grandeur  !  "  Bernadotte  exclaimed,  "  and  for 
me,  have  I  a  tragic  end  also — or  do  I  die  within  a 
palace  ?" 

"No,  thy  death  shall  be  calm,  tnou  shalt  sit  upon  a 
throne,  and,  after  having  denied  thy  flag  and  fought 
against  thy  companions  in  arms,  thou  shalt  lie  in  a 
majestic  tomb  near  to  a  sea  of  ice." 


"  If  you  give  all  these  good  things  to  my  comrades, 
what  is  there  left  for  me?"  Lefebvre  inquired  with  an 
affectation  of  anxiety. 

"Thou,"  answered  Fortunatus,  "  shalt  wed  the  one 
thou  lovest,  thou  shalt  command  a  formidable  army, 
and  thy  name  shall  ever  be  coupled  with  bravery  and 
loyalty." 

"And  I,  Citizen  Sorcerer!"  hazarded  Catharine  in  a 
shrinking  way  that  showed  she  was  frightened,  perhaps 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life. 


3°     

"  You,  Mademoiselle,"  said  the  sorcerer,  "  you  shall 
be  the  wife  of  the  man  you  love — and  you  shall  become 
a  duchess." 

"  Ah,  then  that  means  I  shall  become  a  due.  General 
is  not  sufficient,  is  it?"  Lefebvre  exclaimed  gaily,  "eh, 
Sorcerer,  come,  complete  thy  prediction,  say  that  I  shall 
marry  Catharine  and  together  we  shall  become  due  and 
duchess." 

But  Fortunatus  answered  not;  he  had  turned  away, 
and,  amid  the  laughter  of  the  young  men  and  the  reve- 
rent glances  of  the  women,  he  slowly  walked  towards  a 
distant  corner. 

"  Truly,"  said  Fouche,  "  this  magician  is  not  very  in- 
ventive, he  gives  us  all  the  highest  posts,  and  leaves  us 
there.  But,  now  I  think  of  it,  he  has  given  me  nothing. 
Heh,  there,  Sorcerer,  am  I  never  to  be  exalted  ?" 

"Hold  your  tongue,"  Catharine  interrupted,  "you 
have  already  been  cure,  what  more  do  you  want?" 

"Excuse  me,  my  dear,"  Fouche  responded,  with  mock 
courtesy,  "  I  was  only  a  reader.  At  present  I  am  a 
patriot,  an  enemy  to  tyrants.  What  do  I  want  to  be? 
It  is  simple.  I  must  be  Minister  of  Police." 

"You  will  be,  you  are  so  bright,  you  know  everything 
that  happens  now,  everything  that  is  said,  Citizen 
Fouche  !  "  Catharine  laughed. 

"Yes,  I  shall  be  Minister  of  Police  when  you  are  a 
duchess,"  and  a  strange  smile  passed  over  the  sad  coun- 
tenance of  Fouche  as  he  arose  from  the  table  and  mingled 
with  the  crowd. 

The  ball  was  ended.  The  four  young  men  lingered 
to  discuss  the  revelations  of  Fortunatus;  Catharine  leaned 
upon  the  arm  of  Lefebvre  and  granted  permission  for 
that  love-stricken  youth  to  accompany  her  as  far  as  the 
entrance  to  her  shop. 

As  they  passed  through  the  door,  their  three  neigh- 
bors were  directly  before  them,  Bonaparte  slightly  in 
advance  of  Junot  and  Marmont.  For  an  instant  Bona- 


—     31     

parte  raised  his  eyes  to  the  heavens  seeking  that  brilliant 
star,  visible  to  himself  alone. 


III. 

THE    LAST    NIGHT    OF    ROYALTY. 

THE  tenth  of  August  in  that  year  fell  upon  Friday, 
and  the  night  of  the  ninth  was  placid,  starlit,  and 
serene.  Until  midnight  the  moon  shed  its  calm  light 
over  a  city  that  slept  in  a  quietude  that  seemed  to  one 
strange  to  the  events  that  were  transpiring,  to  be  peace- 
ful and  free  from  trouble. 

But  for  fifteen  days  Paris  had  only  slept  with  feverish 
uncertainty  as  to  whether  it  should  awaken  amid  the 
brilliant  sunshine  of  an  untarnished  day,  or  open  its 
eyes  upon  the  streets  of  its  city  running  with  the  blood 
of  its  citizens;  it  had  slept  upon  its  sabre  ready  to  re- 
spond to  the  first  call  whenever  that  call  might  come. 

The  reinforcements  from  Marseilles  were  in  the  city. 
They  marched  the  streets,  and  they  were  welcomed  at 
the  clubs,  they  quickened  the  blood  of  the  Parisian  with 
their  ardor,  they  sang  at  all  hours  the  stirring  refrain  of 
their  martial  hymn,  that  hymn  born  on  the  borders  of 
the  Rhine  in  the  transcendent  soul  of  Rouget  de  Lisle. 
They  taught  it  to  their  compatriots  of  the  North,  and 
those  in  return  sang  it  as  the  national  anthem  of  France 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  the  "  Marseillaise." 

The  Court  and  the  people  were  preparing  for  the 
blow,  for  the  grand  day. 

The  Court  had  barricaded  itself  in  the  Tuileries,  and 
there  it  was  garrisoned  under  the  protection  of  the 
Swiss  Guards  from  Courbevoie  and  from  Rueil,  a  band 
of  fanatical  nobles  who  had  earned  the  title  of  Cheval- 
iers of  the  Poignard  after  the  banquet  of  October, 
where  the  national  cocarde  was  trampled  under  their 
feet. 


32     

The  tenth  of  August  marked  the  beginning  of  the  in- 
surrection, the  first  battle  of  a  great  army  without  a 
commander,  a  battle  where  the  crowd  was  the  general 
and  the  heroes  were  the  people. 

It  began  at  midnight,  that  radiant  midnight  of  the 
ninth.  The  emissaries  of  forty-seven  sections  of  revolu- 
tionists sped  silently  through  the  streets,  carrying  from 
door  to  door  the  ominous  order:  "  To  arms  !  To  arms, 
when  you  hear  the  tocsin  sound  and  the  drums  beat  !  " 

The  clock  on  Saint  Germain  1'Auxerrois  sounded  the 
knell  of  monarchy,  as  it  had  sounded  the  massacre  of 
Saint  Bartholemy. 

The  moon  had  sunk  beneath  the  horizon,  and  a  deep 
shadow  rested  upon  the  city.  Suddenly  in  the  win- 
dows of  the  houses  lights  appeared,  quickly  one  fol- 
lowing the  other.  It  seemed  as  though  there  was  to  be 
a  fete,  but  a  fete  with  a  sinister  aspect.  It  was  the  last 
light  glimmer  before  the  day  that  was  to  bring  with  it 
the  smoke  of  combat,  the  dense  clouds  from  the  torch 
of  the  incendiary  that  were  to  obscure  the  sun. 

The  doors  looking  on  the  streets  were  opened  quietly, 
and  men  bearing  guns  stood  half  concealed  within  the 
passages.  They  anxiously  scanned  the  heavens  and  bent 
their  listening  ear  close  to  the  earth,  they  awaited  the 
coming  of  the  gathering  forces  that  they  might  join  in  the 
ranks.  The  houses  nearest  the  Tuileries  had  given  evi- 
dence of  life  during  the  entire  night,  and  long  before  the 
sun  showed  its  burning  face  many  of  the  shops  were 
opened  to  the  gathering  crowds. 

Mademoiselle  Sans-Gene  was  among  the  earliest  of 
those  upon  the  street.  Clothed  in  a  short  skirt,  a  thin 
shawl  thrown  about  her  plump  shoulders  and  a  coquet- 
tish evening  bonnet  perched  upon  her  head,  she  looked 
forth  from  her  windows  alarmed  by  the  rumors  of  the 
night  and  aroused  from  her  troubled  sleep  by  the  rol- 
ling of  the  drums  and  the  distant  sound  of  the  tocsin. 
Satisfying  herself  that  she  might  venture  forth  without 


33 

danger,  she  passed  down  through  her  shop  and  gained 
the  door. 

The  Rue  Royal  Saint  Roch  was  deserted  as  Catharine 
looked  about  her  in  every  direction.  It  was  not  alone 
curiosity  that  called  her  from  her  rest  thus  early;  she  was 
a  good  patriot,  this  Sans-Gene,  but  another  sentiment 
than  her  hatred  of  tyrants  aroused  her  from  her  couch 
this  day.  Since  the  evening  at  the  Vauxhall  she  had 
often  seen  Lefebvre,  and  so  ardent  had  his  protests 
become  and  so  persistent  her  restraint,  that  only  two  days 
before  we  find  her  standing  by  her  shop,  the  sergeant 
had  ended  his  doubts  by  proposing  marriage,  and 
Catharine,  not  unwilling,  said  : 

"  But  we  haven't  very  much  to  support  our  home  on. 
I  have  only  my  washing,  and  nobody  ever  thinks  of  pay- 
ing me." 

"  Yes,"  added  Lefebvre,  "  and  I  only  have  what  I  can 
get  out  of  the  army,  and  that  is  often  late  in  coming." 

"Well,  but  all  that  is  nothing;  we  are  young,  we  love 
each  other,  and  we  have  everything  before  us!  Didn't 
the  Sorcerer  the  other  day  promise  me  that  I  should 
be  a  duchess  ?  " 

"  And  didn't  he  tell  me  that  I  should  be  general  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  he  told  you  that  you  would  marry  the  one 
you  loved." 

"Good!  Then  let  us  realize  the  prediction  by  begin- 
ning right  there  !" 

"  But  we  can't  get  married  in  a  moment,  we  have  got 
to  fight ! " 

"  Then,  fix  on  a  date,  Catharine  !  " 

"  Well,  then  on  the  day  of  the  downfall  of  the  tyrants; 
how  does  that  suit  you  ? " 

"  Agreed  !  The  tyrants  I  execrate  !  See  here,  Cath- 
arine, look  at  this?" 

And  Lefebvre,  rolling  up  his  sleeve,  bared  his  right 
arm,  upon  which  was  an  elaborate  design  in  tattooing,, 
showing  two  sabres  crossed,  surmounted  by  a  flaming 


34 


shell,  and  having  beneath  it  the  inscription:  "Death  to 

tyrants  ! !  " 

"Am   I    not  patriotic?"  Lefebvre    exclaimed,    as   he- 

looked  trium- 
phantly  upon  his 
naked  arm. 

"It  is  beautiful!" 
said  Catharine, 
with  a  tone  of  sin- 
cere admiration, 
and  stepping  to- 
wards him  she  ex- 
tended her  finger 
to  touch  the  marks. 
"Don't  touch 
it ! "  said  Lefebvre 
quickly.  "  I  have 
just  had  it  put  on." 
And  this  was  the 
evening  of  their  be- 
trothal, and  they 
lingered  long  at  the 
door  of  the  little 
shop  beneath  the 
too-brilliant  stars, 
until  the  tender- 
ness became  so  en- 
ticing that  Cathar- 
ine ran  back  into 
the  room,  pushing 
the  door  into  the 

very  face  of  the  impulsive  Lefebvre  and  laughing  from 

behind  its  protection. 

"  Good  night,  Lefebvre,  you  can   come  in  when  you 

are  my  husband." 

Since  then  his  military  duties  had  given  Lefebvre  little 

opportunity  fora  pleasant  hour  with  his  countrywoman. 


35 

And  so  Catharine  looked  from  the  window  of  her 
chamber  this  night  the  tocsin  sounded  its  notes,  sounded 
the  De  profundis  for  the  Tuileries  and  for  royalty, 
sounded  the  Alleluia  for  her  nuptials. 

Two  of  her  neighbors,  lightly  clothed,  came  forth 
from  their  adjoining  shops,  and,  looking  about  upon  the 
empty  street,  they  said  to  Catharine: 

"  Is  there  anything,  Mam'zelle  Sans-Gene  ?" 

"  I  am  waiting,  neighbors,  have  patience,  just  a  little, 
and  you  will  know  everything.  You  will  see  the  grand- 
est stroke  for  liberty  that  was  ever  dealt,"  Catharine 
made  answer. 

At  this  moment  Lefebvre  fully  armed  and  carrying  a 
musket  over  his  shoulder,  hastily  came  around  the  corner 
of  the  Rue  St.  Honore,  and,  throwing  his  weapon  against 
the  building,  he  rapturously  embraced  the  smiling  girl. 

"  Ah,  my  Catharine,  how  happy  it  makes  me  to  see 
you.  It  has  commenced  !  We  are  warming  them 
already.  To-day  is  Liberty  Day!  Vive  la  nation!  "  the 
sergeant  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  two  neighbors  timidly  approached,  their  eyes 
sparkling  with  excitement,  and  they  asked  what  had 
happened. 

"There!"  was  all  Lefebvre  could  answer  as  he 
pointed  his  trembling  finger  towards  the  Tuileries. 

"  Why  havn't  you  taken  the  tyrants  from  their 
palace?"  Catharine  demanded. 

"  We  have  attacked  it  on  every  side.  But  don't  you 
see  the  building  is  a  veritable  fortress,  there  are  guns  in 
every  window,  the  doors  are  barricaded,  the  Swiss  are 
armed  to  the  teeth,  and  with  them  are  those  scoundrels, 
the  Chevaliers  of  the  Poignard,  the  traitors,  brought  in 
here  to  assassinate  patriots  ! "  Lefebvre  cried  with 
savage  energy. 

"  And  have  you  fought  your  battle  already  ?" 

"  No,  not  yet,  but  one  man  has  been  killed,  Mandat, 
the  commander  of  the  National  Guards." 


"Your  chief  ?" 

"  Yes,  and  he  was  a  traitor  !  We  found  signed  by  his 
hand  a  paper  telling  when  the  patriots  would  arrive  at 
the  head  of  Pont  Neuf  to  make  their  junction  with  their 
comrades  from  Saint  Marceau  and  from  Saint  Victor, 
but  the  treason  was  discovered,  the  traitor  called  at  the 
Hotel  de  Ville  to  explain,  and  was  there  killed  by  a 
pistol  bullet  from  the  crowd.  But  to-night  nothing 
can  stop  the  march  of  the  patriots,  and  eight  days  from 
this,  Catharine,  we  shall  be  married.  See,  I  have 
already  prepared  the  wedding  present.  You  know,  I 
promised  it ! " 

And    right  there  before  the   neighbors,  the  sergeant 

rolling    up    the 

,. — ,..     -  sleeve  from  his  left 

arm,  showed  an- 
other tattoo  repre- 
senting two  burn- 
ing hearts. 

"  See,  there,"  he 
said,  "  see  what  is 
written,  '  To  Cath- 
arine for  life.' >: 

And  then  they  all 
gathered  around  to 
admire  the  design. 
"  It  is  beautiful, 
much  more  beauti- 
ful than  the  other," 
said  Catharine, 
blushing  with 
pleasure.  "Oh,  my, 
Lefebvre,  my  dear 
Lefebvre,  how 
thoughtful  you  are, 
and  how  much  I 
love  you." 


- —     37     

At  this  moment  the  rattling  sound  of  muskets  was 
heard  sharp  upon  the  air,  and  then  with  the  intermission 
of  a  single  moment  came  the  roar  of  a  cannon. 

The  neighbors  ran  frightened  into  their  houses,  and 
Lefebvre,  with  the  light  of  a  joyful  realization  beaming 
over  his  face,  pushed  Catharine  within  her  door,  crying 
out  with  enthusiasm:  "  Go,  go,  Catharine,  and  don't 
come  out  again  until  I  come  for  you.  Be  not  alarmed, 
we  shall  return  victors  !  " 

He  seized  his  musket  and  with  one  more  embrace  he 
ran  in  the  direction  of  the  Tuileries. 


IV. 


A    CHEVALIER    OF    THE    POIGNARD. 

IT  was  noon  when  the  cannon  ceased  to  roar  against 
the  walls  of  the  Tuileries,  and  then  the  sounds  of  human 
voices,  drowned  before,  were  heard  through  the  streets 
near  and  far  crying,  "Victory  !  Victory  !  " 

Great  clouds  of  smoke  floated  in  the  air  above  the 
threatened  dwellings  and  bits  of  blackened  paper  and 
torn  strips  of  burned  tapestries  were  blown  along  the 
pavements. 

The  events  of  this  day  made  a  varied  history  that  has 
never  had  its  equal. 

Each  section  of  the  revolutionists  appointed  three 
commissioners  who  together  formed  the  Paris  Com- 
mune. Petion,  the  Mayor,  went  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville, 
which  had  been  assigned  to  him  as  an  official  residence. 
Mandat,  found  guilty  of  treason,  had  been  killed,  and 
Santerre,  being  appointed  in  his  place,  was  commander 
of  the  National  Guards.  The  arsenal  had  been  broken 
open  and  the  arms  distributed  among  the  patriots. 

The  King,  the  luxurious  Louis,  had  reviewed  the  bat- 


38     — 

talions  of  the  National  Guard  that  he  hoped  to  use  in 
the  defense  of  the  palace,  but  the  reception  he  received 
was  chilling,  and  he  had  retired  to  his  own  apartments 
seeing  in  his  mind  the  shadow  of  the  guillotine  length- 
ening over  the  Place  de  la  Concorde.  The  companies 
of  the  Guard  from  the  Butte  des  Moulins  alone  had  given 
the  old-time  cheer  as  they  marched  past  the  royal  stand- 
ard, the  others  had  cried  in  no  uncertain  voices:  "Long 
live  the  nation  !  Down  with  the  Veto  !  " 

The  Swiss  Guards  were  the  only  reliance  of  Louis  XVI. 
They  numbered  950,  they  were  thoroughly  equipped 
and  under  perfect  discipline,  for  the  most  part  they 
spoke  only  German,  but  to  a  man  they  were  faithful  in 
their  allegiance  to  the  King  because  they  looked  upon 
loyalty  as  their  share  in  the  contract  by  which  they  had 
been  hired  to  protect  His  Majesty.  Ignorant  of  the  true 
situation  and  the  intensity  of  the  feeling  in  the  hearts  of 
the  French  people,  the  Swiss  regarded  the  uprising  as  a 
temporary  riot,  and  themselves  as  heroes  defending  a 
hounded  ruler  against  a  band  of  brigands. 

The  reinforcements  from  Marseilles  and  from  Brittany 
were  under  the  command  of  a  friend  of  Danton,  a  former 
lieutenant,  Westermann  by  name,  an  energetic  Alsatian, 
a  true  militiaman  with  all  the  instincts  of  a  soldier.  At 
the  head  of  his  men,  he  forced  his  way  into  the  court  of 
the  palace.  At  that  time  there  were  three  of  these  ex- 
tensive open  squares  and  the  Carousel,  much  smaller 
than  it  is  to-day,  was  shut  in  on  every  side  by  build- 
ings. 

Reaching  this  place,  Westermann  drew  up  his  troop 
in  the  order  of  battle,  while  the  Swiss  crowded  every 
window  overhead,  musket  in  hand,  ready  for  the  word 
to  fire. 

Recognizing  the  slaughter  that  would  follow  the 
threatened  engagement  the  Alsatian  stepped  forward, 
and,  addressing  the  Swiss  in  German,  he  urged  them  to 
throw  down  their  arms  and  join  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 


.':. 


The  words  had  some  effect,  and  the  moments  of  silence 
that-  followed  the  simple  appeal  saw  handfuls  of  car- 
tridges thrown  from  the  windows  to  the  ground,  a  mute 
sign  of  friendliness  and  sympathy,  and  the  patriots  reas- 
sured by  these  peaceful  demonstrations  forced  their  way 
into  the  vestibule  and 
up  to  the  grand  stair- 
case leading  to  the 
royal  apartments. 

Here  stretched  the 
barrier   that   forbade 
further  prog- 
ress, while   be- 
yond, 


standing  upon 
every    step    were 
two  imposingSwiss, 
one    with    his    back 
pressed    against    the 
wall,  the  other  show- 
ing full  front  in   the 
centre  of  the  stair,  and 

both  with  theirmuskets  at  their 

shoulder  and  their  fingers  upon 
the  trigger. 

For  an  instant  the  shrieking  mob  of  invaders  hesitated, 
and  then  a  shot  rang  out  above  all  other  noises,  and  one 
of  the  Swiss  sank  to  the  floor,  his  blood  trickling 
down  upon  the  marble  pavement.  In  the  fury  of  the 
conflict  the  origin  of  the  first  shot  was  not  determined, 


4o 

and  responsibility  of  this  signal  for  the  terrible  mas- 
sacre was  never  placed. 

With  murderous  precision  the  defenders  of  the  palace 
threw  their  terrible  fire  into  the  struggling  hordes  be- 
low, volley  succeeded  volley  with  no  intermission,  it  was 
an  uninterrupted  flood  of  fire  that  swept  over  the  gilded 
balustrades  of  the  grand  escalier  into  the  panic-stricken 
crowd  almost  hidden  by  the  clouds  of  smoke,  but  whose 
struggles  and  shrieks  reached  the  furthermost  corners 
of  the  besieged  building. 

The  first  discharge  of  musketry  from  the  guard  upon 
the  stairs  was  a  signal  to  those  who  occupied  the  win- 
dows upon  the  yard  and  from  each  embrasure,  the 
Swiss  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  Court  kept  up  a  fusillade 
as  deadly  and  as  irresistible  as  that  with  which  the  in- 
surgents were  deluged  in  the  vestibule.  It  was  more 
than  mortal  could  withstand,  and  as  the  patriots  tumbled 
forth  into  the  Carousel  seeking  by  flight  to  escape  the 
flying  bullets  from  within,  they  encountered  the  deadly 
shower  that  came  from  every  side  of  the  inclosure  and 
from  every  floor  of  the  surrounding  walls,  centering  on 
the  only  passage  these  flying  men  could  take.  As  they 
fled  through  the  arch  into  the  open  street  the  Swiss 
swarmed  out  upon  their  heels  and  pursued  them  to  the 
Rue  St.  Honore. 

But  the  Marseillais,  the  Bretons,  and  the  National 
Guard  rallied  a  few  streets  distant,  and  reinforced  by 
thousands  of  citizens  and  many  cannon,  they  returned 
to  the  assault.  It  was  a  human  wave,  overwhelming, 
resistless,  nothing  could  stand  before  the  terrific  impetus 
of  this  triumphant  crowd.  Regardless  of  the  rattling 
shot,  of  the  men  falling  in  every  rank,  they  pressed  for- 
ward and  again  filled  the  vestibule  already  slippery  with 
blood  and  piled  up  with  the  dead  bodies  of  those  that 
had  gone  before,  they  plunged  up  the  stairs  and  slaugh- 
tered the  Swiss  in  the  very  salon  of  the  King.  Those 
that  fled  were  cut  down  in  the  gardens  or  on  the  streets. 


-  A  r  ______ 

4  l 

and  those  few  who  were  saved  owed  their  lives  to  the 
generosity  of  an  occasional  conqueror,  who  interposed 
his  influence  between  the  affrighted  Swiss  and  the  popu- 
lar fury. 

Catharine  was  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement  that  fol- 
lowed the  assault.  Aroused  beyond  control  by  the  open- 
ing of  the  sanguinary  affair,  she  had  hurried  after  the 
sounds  of  the  firing  and  reached  the  Carousel  at  the 
moment  when  her  triumphant  compatriots  had  taken 
possession  of  the  palace.  Inspired  by  her  hatred  of  the 
tyrants,  hoping  that  she  would  see  among  the  com- 
batants her  faithful  Lefebvre  black  with  the  powder 
that  he  used  against  the  enemy,  wishing  that  she  her- 
self might  handle  a  gun  to  charge  and  fire  upon  the  de- 
fenders of  the  King.  Her  soul  was  filled  with  the  thoughts 
of  strife,  and  the  odor  of  gunpowder  filled  her  mind 
with  desperate  thoughts. 

Not  once  did  the  fear  come  to  her  that  Lefebvre  would 
fall  beneath  the  bullets  of  the  Swiss,  she  was  confident 
because  she  had  faith  in  the  prediction  of  Fortunatus, 
and  he  had  said  that  Lefebvre  would  command  armies, 
and  that  she  should  become  his  wife  !  And  so  she  braved 
every  peril,  advancing  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  cannons 
and  to  the  Marseillais,  searching  everywhere  for  Le- 
febvre and  fearless  of  death. 

How  she  reached  her  little  shop  Catharine  knew  not, 
but  when  the  sounds  of  strife  died  away  at  noontime 
and  all  that  shocked  the  repose  of  the  deserted  streets 
in  her  neighborhood  were  the  occasional  indistinct  dis- 
charge of  an  isolated  weapon  faraway  towards  the  other 
side  of  the  city,  she  found  herself  trembling  in  her  room, 
the  door  leading  to  the  street  closed  and  barred  against 
intrusion.  But  suddenly  she  was  startled  by  the  loud 
report  of  a  gun,  fired  three  times  and  sounding  as  though 
it  were  beneath  her  very  windows.  Then  there  was  a 
noise  of  footsteps  in  the  little  passageway  that  ran  beside 
her  house  and  the  next  moment  an  uncertain  knocking 


at  her  shop  door.     Alarmed   and   trembling,  Catharine 
sat  irresolute  asking  herself  what  it  could  be,  and  then 

gathering  cour- 
age she  ran  into 
the  shop  and  un- 
locking the  door 
she  threw  it  back. 
Before  her  stood 
a  man  trembling, 
pale,  feeble,  and 
covered  with 
blood,  his  hand 
was  against  his 
shoulder,  his  face 
showed  the  most 
intense  pain.  He 
wore  a  suit  of 
white  with  short 
trousers  and 
stockings  of  silk, 
he  was  not  a  pa- 
triot, if  he  had 
fought  it  was  as- 
suredly in  the 
ranks  of  the  ene- 
mies of  the  people. 
"  Who  are  you  ? 
What  do  you 
want  ? "  she  said 
with  anger  in  her 
tones. 

"  I  am  wound- 
ed, they  are  pur- 
suing me,  let  me 

hide  here,  save  me  in  the  name  of  Heaven,  madam  !  I 
am  the  Comte  de  Neipperg;  I  am  an  Austrian  officer," 
the  man  faintly  replied. 


^ 


A  groan  came  from  his  lips,  his  face  became  a  shade 
paler,  he  waited  for  her  reply  in  anguish.  Catharine 
hesitated  as  she  regarded  him,  she  noted  his  elegance 
of  dress  and  she  saw  the  great  splashes  of  blood  that 
disfigured  him,  then  she  said  in  a  voice  filled  with  pity: 

"  Poor  boy!  You  are  an  aristocrat,  you  have  shot  at 
the  people!  But  it  is  not  the  same  as  though  you  were 
a  Frenchman;  you  say  you  are  an  Austrian.  Ah,  well, 
you  are  a  man  !  " 

And  with  the  instinct  of  charity  and  tenderness  that 
fills  the  heart  of  all  women,  be  they  the  most  energetic 
in  the  fray  or  gentle  in  their  deeds  of  charity,  Catharine 
assisted  the  fainting  man  to  a  chair,  stripped  his 
wounded  shoulder,  gently  removed  the  threads  of  linen, 
stiffened  by  the  flowing  blood  and  satisfied  herself  that 
there  was  no  immediate  danger  of  his  death.  She  filled 
a  little  vessel  with  fresh  water,  and,  having  taken  the 
precaution  to  close  the  door  leading  on  to  the  street,  she 
bathed  the  savage  wounds  of  the  unhappy  patient.  She 
made  bandages,  and  in  her  haste  she  tore  in  strips  the 
first  bit  of  linen  that  came  beneath  her  hands,  nor  was 
it  until  she  had  entirely  destroyed  a  shirt  that  was 
unfortunately  near,  that  she  discovered  it  belonged  to 
one  of  her  customers.  Looking  at  it  with  impatience, 
as  though  revolving  in  her  mind  what  excuse  she  could 
make  for  such  wanton  destruction,  she  flung  it  down 
and  exclaimed: 

"Pshaw!  It  belongs  to  that  poor,  little  artillery  cap- 
tain, Napoleon  Bonaparte.  I  don't  believe  the  poor  fel- 
low has  another  one.  Still,  he  owes  me  enough  to  buy 
several.  I  know  what  I'll  do,  I'll  get  him  a  new  one.  I'll 
buy  another  and  I  will  take  it  to  him  myself,  and  I'll 
put  his  name  on  it,  and  I'll  tell  him  I  spoiled  his  old  one 
with  a  hot  iron.  But  will  he  take  it  ?  He  is  such  a  hot- 
headed fellow  !  But,  then,  he  doesn't  give  much  atten- 
tion to  his  clothes  !  " 

All   this  bubbled    from    her    ruddy    lips  as   with   the 


44    

greatest  care,  she  bound  the  desecrated  garment  around 
the  wounded  officer  who  had  found  such  pleasant  refuge 
in  the  home  of  a  rabid  patriot. 

The  sight  of  this  young  man,  wounded  to  death  per- 
haps, livid,  without  strength,  his  nerves  shattered  and 
his  life  almost  gone,  had  entirely  changed  the  senti- 
ments that  Catharine  so  loudly  declared.  She  had  been 
an  Amazon,  she  had  taken  part  with  the  combatants, 
she  had  hailed  with  joy  every  volley  that  blazed  against 
the  battlements  of  the  Tuileries,  she  had  craved  for  a 
gun  herself  that  she  might  participate  in  this  fete  of 
death,  but  now  she  had  become  an  angel  bringing  relief 
to  a  suffering  human  being.  The  sight  of  the  agony 
that  she  was  making  every  effort  to  alleviate,  brought 
to  her  lips  an  involuntary  malediction  against  war  and 
she  murmured  that  men  were  savages  to  end  their  dis- 
putes by  such  means.  But  the  next  moment  her  hatred 
brought  with  it  another  anathema,  this  time  against  the 
King  and  against  the  Queen  who  had  made  necessary 
these  awful  butcheries. 

"  He  is  an  Austrian,"  she  said.  "  Why  does  he  come 
here  among  us  dressed  in  this  white  uniform  ?  He 
comes  to  defend  that  other  Austrian,  the  Queen,  Madame 
Veto  !  " 

Then  she  looked  at  the  fainting  man  more  attentively, 
she  had  washed  the  blood  from  his  face,  she  had 
smoothed  back  his  disordered  hair,  he  sat  there  uncon- 
scious of  it  all.  "  He  is  young,  he  can't  be  over  twenty  !  " 

Then  her  professional  instinct  came  uppermost: 

"  His  linen  is  fine,  his  batiste,  he  is  truly  an  aris- 
tocrat." 

Under  the  happy  influence  of  the  cold  water  and  the 
bandages  that  had  stopped  the  loss  of  blood,  the 
wounded  man  gradually  became  reanimated.  He  opened 
his  eyes,  and  they  wandered  about  the  room.  And  with 
a  revival  of  consciousness,  the  thoughts  of  danger  came 
back  to  him.  He  made  a  movement  as  if  to  rise. 


45 

"  No,  do  not  kill  me  !  "  he  murmured  in  a  supreme 
and  instinctive  effort,  extending  his  arms  before  him  as 
though  he  would  ward  off  the  blows  of  his  invisible 
enemies.  Then,  looking  full  into  the  face  of  his  bene- 
factor, he  said,  with  a  great  effort: 

"  You  are  Catharine  Upscher,  of  St.  Amarin  ?  It  was 
Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  who  sent  me  to  your  house; 
she  said  to  me  that  you  were  good,  that  you  would 
help  me." 

"  Mademoiselle  Blanche  de  Laveline  ? "  said  Catharine 
in  surprise,  "  the  daughter  of  the  Seigneur  of  St.  Amarin, 
my  protector  !  You  know  her,  then  ?  For  her  I  will 
brave  any  peril,  and  you  have  done  well  to  come  here. 
Here  you  are  safe,  and  who  would  take  you  must  pass 
over  my  body  to  do  it." 

The  wounded  man  made  an  effort  to  speak,  but 
Catharine  by  a  motion  enjoined  silence  upon  him. 

"  Be  reasonable,"  she  said,  in  a  solicitous  voice,  "  no 
one  can  harm  you  here.  Mademoiselle  Blanche  knew 
that  she  could  trust  me,  you  are  here  in  the  house  of  a 
patriot.  Do  you  not  hear  what  I  say?  The  Austrians 
are  patriots!  You  are  in  the  home  of  a  friend." 

An  expression  of  the  most  sincere  satisfaction  and 
relief  passed  over  the  face  of  the  suffering  Austrian. 
He  was  with  a  friend,  the  name  of  Blanche  de  Laveline 
was  powerful,  he  had  nothing  to  fear.  With  a  supreme 
effort,  his  eyes  half  closed,  he  extended  his  arms  and 
with  his  hand,  clammy  and  cold,  he  felt  about  for  the 
hand  of  Catharine. 

"  Keep  quiet  !  be  calm,  you  are  resting  where  you 
will  be  safe,  citizen  Austrian,"  said  Catharine  with 
emotion. 

And  then  with  tears  in  her  voice,  she  continued: 

"  Had  you  not  better  lie  on  the  bed,  I  am  not  strong 
enough  to  lift  you  there,  but  can  you  walk?  Oh,  how  I 
wish  Lefebvre  were  here,  where  can  he  be  ? " 

The  exclamation  aroused  a  thought  in  her,  the  idea 


came  to  her  mind  that  if  Lefebvre  should  come  there 
and  find  an  unconscious  stranger,  covered  with  blood, 
what  would  he  think? 

"  This  war  is  terrible!  "  she  whispered. 

And  then,  with  the  energy  of  a  sudden  conviction, 
she  said  half  aloud: 

"  Bah!  Lafebvre  is  too  brave,  too  manly  to  injure  a 
wounded  opponent;  Lefebvre  only  fights  with  bullets." 

Then,  shrugging  her  shoulders,  she  once  more  turned 
her  attention  to  her  patient. 

"  It  is  impossible  that  he  should  stay  here,  any  chance 
passer-by  might  see  him.  But  what  shall  I  do  with  him? 
He  is  a  friend  of  Mademoiselle  Blanche,  I  cannot  let  him 
die  like  this." 

For  a  moment  she  stood  while  conflicting  emotions 
paralyzed  her  mind  and  interrupted  her  thoughts. 

"  Perhaps  he  is  the  fianc£  of  Mademoiselle  Blanche. 
Oh,  how  can  I  save  him!  Why  does  not  Lefebvre  come? " 

The  Austrian,  meanwhile,  had  again  sunken  into 
unconsciousness,  and  Catharine  puzzled  her  confused 
brain  how  to  carry  him  to  the  bed  where  she  felt 
he  would  be  more  comfortable.  Her  self-possession 
had  almost  deserted  her  in  the  critical  emergency  of 
the  moment,  and  she  clasped  her  hands  in  her  vain 
efforts  to  solve  in  some  way  the  question  of  what  she 
should  do. 

"  Surely  Lefebvre  must  come  soon.  He  could  not 
reproach  me  for  saving  the  life  of  an  aristocrat  when 
he  knows  that  he  is  the  friend  of  my  benefactress;  he 
cannot  say  anything  to  me;  certainly  after  the  battle  is 
over,  a  French  soldier  knows  no  enemies;  Lefebvre  has 
told  me  so  often.  But  then  he  is  as  jealous  as  a  tiger! 
He  will  see  this  man,  this  aristocrat  lying  in  my  chair 
and  perhaps  he  will  demand  to  know  how  I  met  him, 
and  how  he  took  refuge  in  my  house  !  " 

She  made  a  renewed  effort  to  lift  the  wounded  man 
to  the  couch. 


47 

As  she  did  so,  a  loud  knock  came  at  the  door.  Star- 
tled, trembling  in  every  limb  at  the  imperious  inter- 
ruption, Catharine  released  her  hold  upon  the  Austrian 
and  stood  staring  in  stupefaction  towards  the  street. 

"  Who  can  it  be  ? "  she  said  to  herself.  "  The  shop  is 
closed  and  certainly  no  one  would  come  to  look  for  their 
linen  on  such  a  day  as  this." 

The  sound  of  muskets  clashing  against  the  pavement 
interrupted  her  thoughts,  and  again  the  resounding 
blows  upon  the  door. 

Then  she  heard  confused  voices  without: 

"  He  is  in  there  !  " 

"  We  have  him  here  !  " 

"They  are  looking  for  him  !"  Catharine  said  in  a 
trembling  voice  as  her  eyes  regarded  with  compassion 
that  almost  was  allied  to  love,  the  unconscious  man 
whose  salvation  rested  with  herself  alone. 

"  Open  the  door  !  "  shouted  a  coarse  voice  accompanied 
by  another  impatient  blow. 

"How  shall  I  save  him?"  Catharine  cried,  now  thor- 
oughly frightened,  'and  shaking  the  unconscious  man 
she  continued,  "  Wake  up!  citizen,  monsieur,  wake  up, 
have  courage,  try  to  get  up  and  walk." 

The  wounded  man  opened  his  eyes  and  in  a  feeble 
voice  replied: 

"  I  cannot,  let  me  die  here  !  " 

"No,  no,  you  must  not  die!"  Catharine  whispered. 
"  See,  have  strength,  live  for  the  sake  of  Mademoiselle 
Laveline.  You  cannot  stay  here,  get  up,  there,  that  is 
right,  you  see  it  is  not  very  difficult,  now  come!  " 

The  Austrian  tottered  like  a  man  intoxicated.  Catha- 
rine supported  him  by  his  arm,  the  cries,  the  threats, 
the  noise  doubled  outside.  The  repeated  blows  threat- 
ened to  break  down  the  door,  when  suddenly  a  voice 
rose  above  the  tumult,  saying: 

"  Stop,  stop!  What  are  you  doing,  I  will  see  this 
woman  !  "  and  then  the  same  voice  cried  out  aloud: 


"  Catharine,  it  is  I!  Don't  you  know  me?   Come!  " 

"Lefebvre!"  said  Catharine  in  a  joyful  voice,  and 
then  turning  towards  the  door  she  cried,  "  Wait  a 
moment,  and  I'll  be  there." 

''Don't  you  see,  citizens,  she  is  a  working  woman; 
have  a  little  patience,  she  is  frightened  by  your  noise 
and  the  blows  of  your  muskets!"  said  Lefebvre,  in  a 
voice  that  Catharine  distinctly  heard  within. 

"  You  hear  that,"  Catharine  said  to  the  wounded 
man;  "they  won't  come  in.  I  am  a  working  woman, 
they  know  that." 

"Where  are  we  going?"  he  feebly  muttered. 

"  We  must  climb  this  stair,  I  will  find  a  place  for  you." 

"  Climb  this  stair!  It  is  impossible,  I  have  not  the 
strength." 

"  Well,  then  quick,  into  my  room!" 

And  Catharine  without  another  moment's  delay,  led 
the  tottering  footsteps  of  the  Austrian  into  her  apart- 
ment, and  laying  him  upon  the  bed,  turning  the  key  in 
the  door,  she  hastened  to  the  front  entrance,  which  she 
threw  open  to  Lefebvre  and  the  clamoring  crowd  say- 
ing beneath  her  breath: 

"  Thank  God,  he  is  saved." 


V. 


THE    BED-CHAMBER    OF    MAM'ZELLE    SANS-GENE. 

THE  bars  removed,  the  bolts  drawn,  the  door  opened 
and  Lefebvre  rushed  in  followed  by  two  or  three  guards 
and    a    crowd    of 
neighbors  and  of 
sightseers,  the 
bulk  of  these   lat- 
ter being  women 
and  children. 

"  You  were  ra- 
ther slow  in  open- 
ing the  door,Cath- 
arine,"  said  Le- 
febvre, kissing  the 
girl  on  both 
cheeks. 

"  I  was  startled, 
the  noise,  the 


cries    

"  Yes,  yes,"  Le- 
febvre   interrupt- 
ed, "I  understand, 
but  it  was  friends, 
patriots,  who  call- 
ed.     We  are  vic- 
torious everywhere,  Catharine!    The  tyrant  is  now  only 
a  prisoner  of   the   people,  the  stronghold  of  despotism 
has  fallen,  the  people  are  masters!  " 

"  Vive  la  nation!  "  shouted  a  voice  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  crowd. 

"And  death  to  traitors!  Down  with  the  Swiss  and  the 
chevaliers!  "  cried  another,  and  the  crowd  pressed  fur- 
ther into  the  little  shop. 


£  f\ 

5° 

"  Yes,  death  to  those  who  have  fired  on  the  people!  " 
exclaimed  Lefebvre  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Catharine,  do  you 
know  why  these  good  people  throng  thus  into  your 
shop  ?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not,  I  have  been  trembling  here  with 
alarm,  I  heard  gunshots  that  sounded  as  though  they 
were  under  my  very  window  " 

"  We  have  shot  an  aristocrat  who  escaped  from  the 
Tuileries,  one  of  the  Chevaliers  of  the  Poignard  who 
tried  to  assassinate  the  patriots;  I  have  seen  our  people 
drop  beneath  the  fire  from  the  gun  in  his  hands,  and 
now  I  will  make  him  pay  the  score  in  his  blood.  Just 
now,  I  and  my  comrades,"  and  Lefebvre  waved  his 
hand  in  the  direction  of  his  followers,  "  were  in  close 
pursuit  of  him,  we  fired  at  him  and  struck  him,  and  just 
as  we  thought  he  would  have  fallen,  he  disappeared  in 
a  turn  of  the  street.  He  was  wounded  and  the  drops  of 
blood  that  marked  his  trail  come  right  to  your  door, 
Catharine.  We  believe  he  has  taken  refuge  here  !  " 

Lefebvre  looked  quickly  around  him,  and  then  in  a 
questioning  tone  he  continued: 

"  But  he  is  not  here,  we  can  see  that.  Didn't  you  say 
he  was  not  here  ?  " 

Catharine  made  no  response,  apparent  surprise  chained 
her  tongue,  and  Lefebvre  detecting  some  confusion  in 
her  manner  and  not  knowing  what  it  meant,  said  to  his 
comrades: 

"  Well,  we  have  nothing  more  to  do  here,  you  at  least. 
You  see  the  white  suit  is  nowhere  about  and  I  presume 
you  will  allow  one  of  the  conquerors  of  the  Tuileries  to 
tranquilly  and  uninterruptedly  embrace  his  wife." 

"  Your  wife  !  Oh,  not  yet,  Lefebvre,"  Catharine  re- 
joined. ' 

"And  why  not  yet?  Is  not  the  tyrant  beaten?"  and 
then  addressing  the  Guards,  Lefebvre  went  on,  "  Au 
revoir,  citizens,  good  luck,  let  us  go  to  headquarters 
and  choose  a  captain  and  lieutenant,  and  a,  cure  to  pray 


51 

for  us,  a  patriot  cure,  all  to  take  the  place  of  those  who 
were  killed  by  the  Swiss." 

The  Guards  required  no  second  hint  and  they  went 
shouting  forth  into  the  street,  while  the  crowd  of  idlers 
lingered  around  the  door. 

"Well,  well,  my  friends,  why  do  you  wait?"  Lefebvre 
said  to  them  in  an  amiable  but  imperative  voice,  "  why 
do  you  wait  ?  In  hopes  of  seeing  that  white  uniform 
again  ?  If  you  do,  you  must  seek  it  elsewhere,  you  see 
it  is  not  in  the  house  of  Mam'zelle  Catharine;  that  is 
clear  !  But  he  must  have  fallen  near  here.  No  man 
could  go  far  with  such  wounds,  he  had  at  least  three 
bullets  in  his  body,  look  for  him  then,  we  have  crippled 
him,  make  it  your  business  to  find  him." 

And  with  the  words  Lefebvre  pushed  the  people 
gently  away. 

"  All  right,  we  will  go,  sergeant,"  said  one. 

"  No  one  has  looked  in  the  girl's  bedroom  !  "  suddenly 
came  from  a  busybody  in  the  front  rank;  but  further 
discussion  was  cut  short  by  Lefebvre,  who  slammed  the 
door  with  no  gentle  hand  and  threw  his  arms  around 
Catharine,  pressing  her  again  and  again  to  his  breast. 

"The  fool  to  shout  for  your  bedroom,"  said  Lefebvre. 
"What  an  idea!  But,  Catharine,  why  are  you  tremb- 
ling? Calm  yourself,  it  is  all  over  !  Come,  let  us  think 
only  of  ourselves  " 

His  further  speech  was  cut  short  by  the  startled  look 
in  Catharine's  eyes,  and  instinctively  his  gaze  followed 
hers  which  was  fixed  upon  the  door  of  her  room.  It 
was  an  unconscious  disclosure  but  that  corner  of  the 
shop  appeared  to  have  an  attraction  Catharine  could 
not  resist.  Mechanically  the  sergeant  arose  and  taking 
one  step  towards  the  secret  apartment,  he  placed  his 
hand  upon  the  latch.  It  was  locked  ! 

Lefebvre  stopped,  astounded,  surprised.  A  frown 
came  across  his  face. 

"  Catharine,  why  is  this  closed  ?" 


52 

"  I — because — perhaps  " 

"  Give  me  the  key  !  " 

"  No,  you  shall  not  have  it !  " 

"Catharine,"  Lefebvre  cried  angrily,  "give  me  the 
key,  there  is  some  one  in  your  room,  a  lover  doubt- 
less !  " 

"  I  said  you  should  not  have  the  key  !  " 

"  Then  I  shall  take  it  !  " 

And  plunging  his  hand  into  the  drawer  of  her  little 
table  Lefebvre  drew  forth  the  key  which  Catharine  by 
force  of  habit  had  placed  there. 

"  Lefebvre,"  cried  Catharine  in  agony,  "  my  husband, 
my  only  love,  do  not  open  that  door.  I  pray  you, 
Lefebvre,  do  not  enter  that  room  against  my  wish,  if 
you  do  never  will  I  enter  it  with  you,  never  " 

A  tumult  on  the  sidewalk  checked  her  impassioned 
utterance,  sounds  of  many  voices  arose,  and  with  them 
the  clatter  of  muskets  as  they  clashed  against  the  stones. 
Then  came  violent  blows  on  the  outer  door  and  Catha- 
rine, thinking  to  divert  the  attention  of  her  lover,  hur- 
ried to  open  it.  Before  her  stood  a  file  of  the  Guards. 

"  Where  is  Lefebvre,"  they  exclaimed  in  one  voice. 
"  Where  is  Lefebvre.  We  want  him.  He  must  come  to 
headquarters,  they  have  made  him  lieutenant." 

Lefebvre  pale,  grave,  resolute,  came  from  Catharine's 
bedroom.  He  carefully  closed  the  door  behind  him  and 
dropped  the  key  on  the  table. 

"You  did  not  tell  me  you  had^a  dead  man  in  your 
bed  !  "  he  whispered. 

"  Is  he  dead  !  poor  fellow  !  "   Catharine  said  sadly. 

"  No,  he  is  living  !     But  is  it  true  ?     Is  he  a  lover  ? " 

"  A  lover !  stupid  !  Do  you  suppose  if  he  were  I 
should  allow  him  to  be  caught  so  easily.  You  have  seen 
him,  he  is  an  Austrian,  he  is  wounded,  he  is  a  friend  of 
Mademoiselle  Blanche's,  my  benefactress,  and  he  came 
to  me  for  protection  and  refuge." 

"  The  wounded  are  sacred,"  Lefebvre  replied.    "  Your 


""         53  * % 

room  shall  be  a  hospital,  care  for  him,  Catharine,  save 
him.  I  am  quite  content  to  help  you  in  paying  your 
debt  to  Mademoiselle  Blanche,  as  you  see  fit.  Have 
courage,  and  I  will  return  atonce." 

"  Ah,  my  brave  Lefebvre,  brave  heart,  you  have  my 
word,  Lefebvre,  when  you  wish  it  you  may  claim  me  as 
your  wife  !  " 

"  Then  it  shall  be  right  quickly,"  Lefebvre  joyously 
responded.  "  But  my  friends  are  impatient.  I  will 
return." 

"  Sergeant,  we  are  waiting  !  "  the  men  called  aloud 
from  the  street. 

"  I  am  with  you,  comrades,  march  on  !  " 

Lefebvre  at  the  head  of  his  squad  quickly  reached  the 
barracks,  where  the  soldiers  were  dropping  their  ballots 
for  new  officers  in  the  great  urn  that  stood  there  to  re- 
ceive their  votes. 

Catharine  re-entered  her  room  where  the  Austrian 
officer  lay  in  a  troubled  sleep,  but  safe  beneath  the  pro- 
tection of  a  roof  that  was  consecrated  to  his  salvation 
through  the  magic  influence  of  Blanche  de  Laveline. 


VI. 

LITTLE     HENRIOT. 

CATHARINE  had  carried  to  the  wounded  man  a 
strengthening  bowl  of  steaming  soup,  and  then  a  goblet 
of  the  best  wine  she  could  get  in  the  neighborhood;  he 
was  too  weak  to  take  anything  more  substantial. 

"  Drink  these,"  she  said,  "  they  will  do  you  good;  you 
require  all  the  strength  you  can  get,  for  it  will  be  impos- 
sible that  you  should  remain  in  this  room  long!  Oh,  it 
is  not  on  my  account  that  I  object,  but  you  see  it  is  not 
here  like  it  is  at  the  home  of  Mademoiselle  Blanche, 
where  everything  is  quiet  and  you  have  the  entire  house 


54    

to  yourself,  but  all  the  world  comes  into  my  shop,  your 
dress  will  excite  suspicion,  the  women  I  have  working 
for  me  will  see  you,  and  they  will  rush  out  in  the  street 
shouting:  "  Here  is  the  man  who  fired  upon  the 
people  !  " 

Neippert  moved  uneasily  and  said: 

"We  only  defended  the  King." 

"  The  dirty  Veto  !"  Catharine  almost  shrieked,  and 
shrugged  her  shoulders  in  the  intensity  of  her  contempt. 
"  He  has  taken  refuge  in  the  Assembly;  he  thinks  they 
won't  find  him  there,  and  he  will  be  safe,  he  will  let  you 
cut  your  throat,  selfish  brute  that  he  is,  without  giving 
you  any  more  thought  than  he  gave  to  the  red  cap  that 
was  pulled  down  over  his  head  on  the  zoth  of  June.  He 
is  good  for  nothing,  he  is  a  coward,  this  dirty  Veto  of 
yours,  who  was  led  around  by  the  nose  by  his  wife — you 
know  where  he  was  led,  don't  you  ?  He  was  led  right 
up  to  the  guns  of  the  patriots.  Oh,  they  were  ready  for 
him,  too  !  But  what  were  you  doing  here  in  this  tumult, 
and  you  a  stranger  ?  Because  you  are  an  Austrian,  did 
you  say  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  lieutenant  in  the  Noble  Guard  of  Her  Majes- 
ty, and  I  was  entrusted  with  a  message  to  the  Queen." 

"The  Austrian  !  "  Catharine  sneered;  "  and  was  it  for 
her  that  you  fought,  you  who  had  nothing  to  win  in  the 
fight  ? " 

"  I  would  have  died  for  her !  "  the  young  officer 
replied,  with  suppressed  enthusiasm. 

"Died,  at  your  age  !  for  the  King?  for  the  Queen  !  " 
Catharine  was  evidently  recovering  her  good  humor, 
for  she  laughed  at  these  words,  and  they  were  uttered 
in  a  tone  of  raillery.  "  Excuse  me,  if  I  am  too  blunt, 
but  when  one  has  only  twenty  years  to  his  life  and  when 
he  is  willing  to  go  and  kill  others  'for  people  whom  he 
does  not  know,  and  fight  others  when  he  has  no  motive 
to  fight — ah,  well  !  Then  it  must  be  a  question  of  love. 
Mon  Dieu  !  Perhaps,  I  have  struck  it  ? " 


55    

"  You  have,  my  charming  hostess." 

"  Good  gracious  !  Then  it  is  not  difficult,  and  will 
you  tell  me  who  you  are  in  love  with  ?  I  wager  it  is 
Mademoiselle  Blanche  !  Oh,  I  don't  urge  you  for  any 
confidence,"  Catharine  vivaciously  exclaimed,  as  she 
saw  an  expression  of  irritation  come  over  the  face  of 
the  wounded  man;  "  but  don't  look  at  me  in  such  a  way, 
certainly  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  deserves  all  the  love 
you  can  give  her." 

Count  de  Neipperg  half  raised  himself  on  one  elbow, 
and  in  a  voice,  filled  with  exultation,  he  cried: 

"  Yes,  she  is  beautiful,  and  she  is  good,  my  beloved 
Blanche  !  Oh,  Madame,  if  I  should  die,  my  last  breath 
would  go  out  in  murmuring  her  name  !  Tell  her  that 
my  thoughts  up  to  the  moment  that  life  was  refused  to 
me,  were  all  for  her  and  for  " 

The  young  man  stopped  as  though  interrupted  by  a 
sudden  realization  that  he  was  saying  too  much;  a  word 
had  formed  itself  upon  his  lips,  but  he  discreetly  closed 
them  and  was  silent. 

"  You  will  not  die  !  "  Catharine  said,  desiring  to 
comfort  him;  "  is  it  possible  any  one  should  die  at  your 
age,  and  when  one  is  in  love  ?  You  must  live,  monsieur, 
for  Mademoiselle  Blanche,  whom  you  love,  who  loves 
you,  I  am  sure,  and  for  that  other  person  whom  you  did 
not  name.  Her  father,  doubtless,  Monsieur  de  Lave- 
line ?  A  fine-looking  man;  I  have  seen  him  two  or 
three  times,  the  Marquis  de  Laveline,  in  Alsace.  He 
wore  a  magnificent  suit  of  blue  velvet  with  gold  braid, 
and  he  carried  snuff  in  a  box  that  was  all  covered  with 
diamonds  and  other  precious  stones." 

When  Catharine  had  pronounced  the  name  of  the 
Marquis  de  Laveline,  Neipperg  made  a  motion  with  his 
hand  that  indicated  disgust  and  enmity. 
.  "  It  doesn't  look  as  though  you  were  very  good 
friends,"  Catharine  observed.  "  Very  well,  then  I 
won't  say  anything  more  about  him;  I  suppose  he  is 


.  rfi  -- 

5° 

opposed  to  the  marriage.  Poor  mademoiselle!  Is  that 
the  reason  that  you  have  come  here  to  be  killed  ? " 

And  with  a  suspicion  of  compassion  in  her  voice,  she 
began  to  arrange  the  pillows  under  his  head,  and  said: 

"  I  am  an  awful  gossip,  I  won't  bother  you  any  more 
with  my  talk.  Can  you  sleep  a  little,  monsieur?  I 
think,  perhaps,  it  might  reduce  your  fever." 

The  sick  man  put  his  hand  tremblingly  to  his  head: 

"  Talk  to  me  of  Blanche,"  he  said.  "  Talk  to  me  of 
her  again,  it  will  cure  me,  I  know." 

And  then  Catharine  told  in  her  own  simple  way  how 
she  had  been  born  near  the  Grand  Chateau  of  Leveline, 
and  how  Blanche  had  taken  her  into  the  service  of  the 
chateau,  and  finally  established  her  in  her  present  wash- 
ing shop,  where  the  unfortunate  officer  found  shelter. 
In  the  midst  of  her  recital,  breaking  in  upon  the  words 
of  admiration  and  gratitude  with  which  she  described 
the  good  deeds  of  her  benefactress,  there  again  came 
the  sound  of  a  stranger  at  the  door,  and  the  blows 
demanding  admission  resounded  through  the  quiet 
room. 

"  I  wonder  if  that  is  Lefebvre  come  back  with  his 
comrades  from  headquarters?"  Catharine  thought  to 
herself,  and  then  turning  to  Neipperg,  who  was  evi- 
dently listening  intently  to  the  sound,  she  said,  "  Don't 
be  frightened,  if  that  is  Lefebvre  alone.,  you  are  in  no 
danger,  but  if  his  comrades  are  with  him,  then  I  must 
go  out  and  talk  to  them.  Do  just  as  I  tell  you,  and 
everything  will  be  safe." 

Quickly  Catharine  closed  the  door  to  her  room  and 
reached  the  entrance  to  the  shop,  opening  the  door  a 
few  inches  she  looked  cautiously  out  and  was  surprised 
to  see  before  her  a  young  woman,  muffled  in  a  light 
cloak  and  her  face  concealed  by  a  heavy  veil. 

"  He  is  here,  isn't  he  ?  "  the  visitor  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  is  here,  Mademoiselle  Blanche,"  Catha- 
rine replied,  recognizing  at  once  the  voice  of  the  woman 


57 

who  stood  before  her;  "  he  is  in  here,  in  my  own  room, 
he  is  living,  and  he  wants  to  talk  to  you;  come  in  and 
see  him." 

"Oh,  my  dear  Catharine,  what  a  happy  inspiration  it 
was  that  I  told  him  to  come  to  your  house  as  a  refuge 
after  that  awful  fight  at  the  Tuileries,"  and  Mademoi- 
selle de  Laveline  seized  Catharine  by  the  hands  and 
embraced  her  warmly,  stopping  but  a  moment  before 
she  went  to  the  bedside  of  her  wounded  lover. 

"You  wicked  man!"  Blanche  said  in  a  sweet  voice, 
"  so  you  would  go  and  be  killed,  would  you  ? " 

"  But  life  without  you  is  not  worth  having,  so  when  I 
found  a  noble  opportunity  to  quit  it,  in  the  midst  of 
combat,  with  a  sword  in  my  hand  and  a  glorious  death 
awaiting  me,  I  went  to  meet  it." 

"Ungrateful  boy,  you  should  have  lived  for  me." 

"  For  you  ?  Were  not  you  as  far  from  me  as  though 
my  eyes  had  been  closed  in  death?  Had  you  not  left  me 
for  ever  ? " 

"  That  odious  marriage  I  have  avoided  thus  far.  We 
must  find  some  means  of  breaking  it  off. 

"  But  you  said  to  me  yourself,"  said  Neipperg,  who 
seemed  to  have  resigned  all  hope,  "  that  to-day,  the 
loth  of  August,  you  would  become  the  wife  of  another  ; 
you  would  become  Madame  Lowendaal;  your  father 
had  ordered  it,  and  you  were  powerless  to  resist." 

"  You  know  very  well  that  my  tears  and  my  prayers 
were  useless,  threatened  with  ruin  by  this  Baron  de 
Lowendaal,  this  Belgian  millionaire,  who  had  given  us 
enormous  sums  and  exacted  enormous  returns,  who 
called  upon  us  at  a  moment's  notice  for  reimbursement; 
you  know  my  father  was  forced  to  accede  to  his  demand 
for  my  hand  in  order  to  save  himself." 

"  Which  means  that  your  father,  the  marquis,  uses  his 
daughter  to  pay  his  debts." 

"  My  dear  friend,  my  father  was  ignorant  that  our 
love  was  so  intense;  he  knew  nothing  of  our  feelings  for 


each  other;  he  knows  nothing  yet,"  Blanche  said  with 
an  intense  energy. 

"  Yes,  he  is  ignorant  of  everything,  because  I  said 
nothing,  I  despaired;  my  death,  you  see,  will  render  the 
silence  still  more  complete,  his  ignorance  more  profound, 
but  perhaps  the  bullets  of  these  rioters  will  not  end  me, 
perhaps  I  shall  recover.  There  is  a  grand  opportunity 
to  die;  war  has  been  declared,  and  I  shall  look  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Imperial  army,  on  the  borders  of  the  Rhine, 
for  that  death  which  has  been  denied  me  at  the  Tuil- 
eries  !  " 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort !  " 

"  Pardon  me,  Blanche,  but  to-day  is  the  loth  of  August, 
the  date  fixed  for  your  marriage;  how  does  it  happen 
that  I  see  you  here  ?  Your  place  should  be  by  the  side  of 
your  husband;  you  are  due  just  now  at  the  church  ! 
Why  do  you  delay  bringing  happiness  to  the  Baron  de 
Lowendaal  and  paying  the  debts  of  the  marquis?  Per- 
haps the  combat  interrupted  the  ceremony,  but  now  the 
guns  have  stopped  firing,  the  tocsin  is  silent,  it  is  the 
turn  of  the  nuptial  bells  to  speak.  Leave  me  to  die, 
here,  anywhere,  to-day  or  to-morrow;  what  does  it 
matter?" 

"  No,  no  !  Your  life  belongs  to  me,  you  must  live  for 
me,  for  our  child,"  Blanche  cried  passionately,  and 
throwing  her  arms  around  Neipperg,  she  embraced  him 
with  uncontrolled  ardor. 

"  Our  child  !  "  the  wounded  man  murmured. 

"  Yes,  our  dear  little  Henriot,  you  have  no  right  to 
die,  your  life  belongs  to  another  !  " 

"  Our  child  !  "  Neipperg  repeated  sadly,  "  but — you're 
married." 

"  I  am  not  married  yet,  there  is  still  hope." 

"  Really  ?  and  you  are  not  yet  Madame  de  Lowen- 
daal?" 

"  Not  yet,  never  perhaps  !  " 

"  Explain  it  to  me." 


59          ~~ 

m  And  while  a  feverish  anxiety  sat  upon  the  face  of  the 
tortured  man,  Blanche  went  on: 

"When  you  had  left,  when  you  said   adieu  and  told 
me  that  you  were  going  to  join  the  defenders  of  the 


, 


palace,  that  you  courted  death,  I  had  but  little  hope  left 
in  my  heart;  it  was  then  that  I  urged  you  to  come  here 
to  Catharine  and  wait  until  I  could  devise  some  means 
for  joining  you." 

"  Then  you  did  hope  ?  Notwithstanding  that  you  had 


60     

promised  to  obey  your  father,  that  you  had  consented 
to  become  the  wife  of  this  Lowendaal !  " 

"  Yes,  for  something  said  to  me  this  marriage  might 
be  put  off"— 

"  And  it  has  been  ?  " 

"  The  insurrection  beginning,  my  father  declared  it 
was  impossible  to  have  the  marriage  take  place  at  the 
date  that  had  been  fixed,  and  then  the  Baron  de  Lowen- 
daal agreed  it  should  be  performed  later,  in  three 
months." 

"  In  three  months  ? " 

"  Yes,  the  6th  of  November  is  the  date  that  is  now 
fixed." 

"  Ah  !  he  doesn't  seem  to  be  in  any  hurry,  this  baron." 

"  Frightened  by  the  course  of  events,  startled  by  the 
progress  of  the  revolution,  M.  Lowendaal  left  Paris  last 
night  before  the  gates  of  the  city  were  closed.  He  has 
gone  to  his  own  estate,  to  his  chateau  near  Jemmapes 
on  the  Belgian  frontier,  where  he  intended  to  celebrate 
his  marriage." 

"  And  are  you  going  to  Jemmapes  ? " 

"  My  father,  who  is  a  little  frightened  also,  has  decided 
he  will  join  the  baron  at  his  chateau,  and  we  intend 
to  leave  shortly,  as  soon  as  the  roads  are  open." 

"And  shall  you  accompany  him?" 

"  I  must,  but  rest  assured  I  am  resolved  what  I  shall 
do,  never  shall  I  become  the  wife  of  the  baron." 

"  Do  you  swear  it  ?  " 

"  I  swear  it !  " 

"  But  how  will  you  have  the  strength  to  resist  them 
at  Jemmapes  when  you  acceded  to  everything  they 
wanted  here  ? " 

"  Before  his  departure  the  baron  received  a  letter 
I  wrote  him,  and,  oh,  how  frightened  I  was  to  do  it ! 
His  servant  whom  I  had  bribed,  took  this  letter  to  him 
at  the  same  time  that  he  told  him  the  gates  of  the  city 
were  open." 


61     

"  What  did  you  tell  him  ?  " 

"The  truth;  he  knows  now  that  I  love  you  and 
our  little  Henriot  can  never  have  any  other  father  than 
you." 

"  My  adorable  Blanche,  my  darling  wife,  how  I  adore 
you;  you  bring  me  back  to  life;  you  give  me  strength  to 
begin  anew  my  battle  against  these  desperadoes." 

And  Neipperg,  in  his  excitement,  made  a  quick  move- 
ment to  stand  upon  his  feet,  but  the  exertion  burst  the 
band  that  bound  his  wounds  and  a  stream  of  blood 
started  down  upon  his  dress.  He  fell  back  with  a  cry 
of  pain.  Catharine,  who  had  discreetly  withdrawn  into 
her  shop,  hastened  to  the  bedside,  and  the  two  women 
rearranged  the  bandages  and  again  bathed  the  bleed- 
ing face  of  the  Austrian,  who  was  now  unconscious. 

His  senses  had  left  him  for  the  moment,  but  his  first 
words  upon  opening  his  eyes  disclosed  his  secret: 

"  Blanche — I  am  dying — watch  over  our  child  !  " 

Catharine,  stupefied  by  the  words  she  had  just  heard, 
thoughtlessly  exclaimed: 

"  Mademoiselle  Blanche  has  a  child  !  " 

And  Blanche  answered: 

"  He  is  three  years  old." 

"  And  his  name  ?  " 

"  Henri;  we  call  him. Henriot." 

"  It's  a  pretty  name;  can  I  see  him,  mademoiselle  ?" 

Blanche  de  Laveline  reflected  for  a  moment,  then  she 
said,  "  My  dear  Catharine,  you  can  do  me  a  great  favor," 
and  then  she  stopped  and  seemed  to  be  thinking  of 
nothing  other  than  the  wounded  man  she  so  tenderly 
cared  for. 

"  Speak,  what  is  it  that  I  can  do  ? " 

"  My  boy  is  now  with  a  brave  woman  just  outside  of 
Paris,  with  Mother  Hoche,  in  a  Faubourg  of  Versailles  ?  " 

"  Mother  Hoche,  I  know  her.  Her  son  is  a  friend  of 
Lefebvre,  and  Lefebvre  is  my  lover;  pretty  soon  he  is 
gping  to  be  my  husband." 


62       . 

"You  make  me  happy,  indeed!  and  you  will  go  and 
see  Mother  Hoche,  will  you  ?" 

•'  I  have  an  errand  for  her,  a  message  from  her  son, 
Lazare;  he  was  in  the  French  Guards  with  Lefebvre, 
and  it  was  Lefebvre  who  induced  him  to  take  up  arms; 
they  were  together  at  the  capture  of  the  Bastille.  Now 
what  is  it  you  want  me  to  say  to  Citizen  Hoche  ?  " 

"  Give  her  this  money  and  this  letter,"  said  Blanche, 
at  the  same  time  handing  Catharine  a  purse  and  a  paper, 
"  and  then  take  the  child  with  you.  It  isn't  too  much  to 
ask  of  you,  Catharine,  is  it  ?  " 

4<  You  know  very  well  that  anything  you  ask  of  me  I 
shall  be  only  too  glad  to  do." 

"  Would  you  take  a  long  journey  for  me  ? " 

"  Cheerfully;  and  where  is  it  you  want  me  to  go  ?  " 

"  To  the  Chateau  of  Lowendaal,  near  the  village  of 
Jemmapes,  that  is  in  Belgium,  close  to  the  frontier;  it  is 
very  easy  to  get  there." 

"  For  you  I  would  do  anything  !  When  do  you  want 
me  to  bring  the  child  to  Jemmapes  ?  " 

"  Not  later  than  the  6th  of  November." 

"  Good!  I  shall  be  there.  Lefebvre  will  arrange  for 
me  to  getaway;  we  will  be  married  by  that  time,  and 
perhaps  he  will  go  with  me." 

"  Embrace  me,  Catharine  !  " 

"  Depend  on  me." 

"  At  Jemmapes,  then  !  " 

"  At  Jemmapes,  the  6th  of  November  !  " 

Then  Blanche  looked  towards  the  bed  where  Neipperg 
lay. 

"  He  is  sleeping,  I  will  go  to  him,"  she  said. 
"  Attend  to  your  affairs,  Catharine,  and  don't  let  me 
interfere  with  what  you  have  to  do." 

"  You  are  here  as  though  in  your  own  house,  I  have 
already  told  you  that;  do  as  you  please  and  try  to  save 
your  lover." 

"  Are  you  going  out  ?     Don't  leave  me  here  alone  !  " 


—     63     

"  Oh,  I  shall  only  be  gone  a  few  moments,  I  have  some 
washing  I  must  take  home,  but  it  isn't  far  from  here, 
and  I  shall  return  quickly.  And  while  I  am  gone  don't 
open  the  door  for  any  one." 


VII. 

THE  LOGGER  AT  THE  HOTEL  DE  MET2. 

LEAVING  the  awakening  Count  and  Blanche  to  their 
delightful  tete-a-tete,  exchanging  their  projects  for  the 
future  and  talking  of  their  child,  Catharine  with  her  bas- 
ket of  clean  linen  on  her  arm  went  forth  from  her  shop. 

She  felt  she  could  profit  by  the  opportunity,  the  lov- 
ers would  not  even  notice  her  absence,  and  she  had 
already  lost  a  day  by  going  over  to  the  Tuileries  to  see 
the  fight. 

"  Lefebvre  is  at  headquarters,  and  they  are  voting  " 
she  said  to  herself.  "  He  will  not  leave  there  cer- 
tainly until  the  new  officers  are  selected.  That  will  all 
take,  say,  two  hours.  They  are  slow  voters  over  there 
at  the  barracks  of  the  Fille  Saint  Thomas,  and  they 
are  all  good  talkers,  too,  except  Lefebvre.  I  have 
plenty  of  time  to  run  around  to  Captain  Bonaparte's 
house  There  is  that  shirt  I  tore  up,  now  I  have  none 
to  take  its  place,  but  I  have  the  note  he  gave  me  for  the 
amount  of  his  washing,  and  if  he  asks  me  for  his  shirt, 
I'll  give  him  the  note,  poor  boy!  He  is  such  a  wonder, 
too,  and  so  wise,  he  is  always  reading  and  writing, 
always  looks  sad!  " 

Thus  her  thoughts  ran  until  she  reached  the  humble 
hotel  where  Bonaparte  lodged  in  a  modest  little  room, 
on  the  third  floor  and  numbered  14.  The  young  man 
at  this  time  gave  no  promise  of  the  glorious  future  that 
awaited  him;  his  name  had  no  aureole  of  blood;  he  was 
without  any  noticeable  peculiarity,  without  anyextraor- 


dinary  relations.     His  first  years  were  those  of  a  poor 
student,  timid,  laborious,  sombre.     He  suffered  cruelly 
from  loneliness;  his  poverty  isolated  him;   he  was  ever 
animated   with  the  thought  that  he 
had  a  family  largely  dependent  upon 
him,   and   making    his  situation  pre- 
carious. 

His  father,  Charles  Bonaparte,  or 
properly  Buonaparte,  who  was  of  an 
old  Tuscan  family  resident  of  Ajaccio 
for  upwards  of  two  centuries,  was  an 
advocate  by  profession  as  had  been 
all  his  ancestors.     Charles  was  one  of 
the  most  ardent  partisans  of  the  Pa- 
oli,  the  Corsican  patriot,  but  sub- 
mitted  to  the   French   authority 
when   Paoli  was  forced 
out  of  the  island. 

Being  a  member  of  the 
Administrative    Council 
of  Corsica,  Charles  was  a 
prominent  man,although 
all  his  possessions  consisted  of 
an  estate  that  brought  him  in 
about   twelve   hundred  francs 
rental.     He  had  married  Leti- 
tia  Ramolino,  born  on  the  24th 
of   August,    1749,    a   beautiful 
and    pure   young   girl,  with  a 
profile  that  resembled  an  an- 
tique cameo,  with  a  spirit  that 
was    singularly  animated    and 
brillrant.   When  she  carried  the 

title  of  Madame  Mere,  and  sat  on  a  throne  beside  her 
sons,  then  rulers  of  Europe,  she  replied  to  Napoleon 
when  he  reproached  her  for  doing  away  with  her  civil 
list, "  I  am  making  these  economies  for  you,  my  children, 


65     

that  may  perhaps  be  helpful  in  your  days  of  necessity." 
The  record  of  his  birth  now  among  the  valued  archives 
of  the  military  school,  and  which  was  produced  for  the 
admission  of  young  Napoleon  into  that  institution,  bears 
the  date  of  August  15,  1769,  and  yet  some  confusion 
exists  as  to  the  real  date  due  to  the  coquetry  of  Jose- 
phine who,  when  she  married  Napoleon  later,  desired 
that  he  appear  two  years  older  than  he  really  was,  and, 
to  gratify  this  whim,  he  had  substituted  for  his  real 
birth  record  at  the  school,  another,  giving  a  date  that 
was  false. 

There  were  two  circumstances  that  influenced  his 
thoughts  and  molded  his  character:  the  political  dis- 
turbances of  his  native  country  and  the  financial  dis- 
tress of  his  family.  Civil  war  hurtled  around  his  cradle; 
the  misery  of  his  paternal  household  embittered  his 
soul  and  grieved  his  young  years.  He  was  serious  when 
he  entered  the  Brienne  school;  he  was  sad  when  he 
left  it. 

His  schoolmates,  mocking  the  strong  Italian  accent 
that  he  never  could  correct,  called  him  Paille-au-Nez; 
he  was  insulted  because  of  his  poverty;  he  was  angered 
by  ferocities  of  their  raillery  and  the  cruel  jeers  of 
which  he  was  the  victim. 

A  studious  scholar,  noticeably  strong  in  mathematics 
he  took  but  little  recreation  except  in  winter,  when,  with 
precocious  strategy,  he  led  the  infantile  assaults  against 
the  ice-fort  erected  in  the  court  of  the  Brienne  school, 
which  was  assailed  and  defended  with  showers  of  snow- 
balls. 

His  solitary  companion  here  was  Bourrienne,  who  later 
became  his  intimate  secretary,  and  always  his  devoted 
friend. 

From  Brienne  he  went  to  the  military  school,  and  there 
he  suffered  a  continuance  of  those  harmless  but  painful 
wounds  that  are  caused  by  the  slights  of  others — the  evils 
poverty  is  called  upon  to  bear.  He  had  no  money;  he 


66     

was  unable  to  enter  into  the  enjoyments  of  his  com- 
panions, he  was  neglected,  ignored,  alone.  This  isola- 
tion at  an  age  when  the  heart  yearns  for  companionship, 
certainly  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  harden  the 
character  and  destroy  the  instinct  of  pity  in  the  soul  of 
this  man  of  bronze. 

Charles  Bonaparte  died  when  39  years  of  age  from 
the  effects  of  a  cancer  of  the  stomach,  and  on  the  same 
day,  September  i,  1785,  his  son  Napoleon  was  made 
second  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  bombardiers  stationed 
at  Valence. 

Here  at  Valence,  in  the  leisure  of  his  garrison  life, 
Napoleon  wrote  a  history  of  Corsica,  and,  desiring  to 
mingle  more  with  the  world  of  fashion  and  society,  he 
took  dancing  lessons  from  Professor  Dantel  and  then 
made  love  to  the  young  ladies  of  the  city,  being  given 
an  opportunity  to  meet  them  through  the  friendliness 
of  a  certain  Mme.  Colombier,  whose  receptions  he  made 
it  his  duty  to  regularly  attend. 

The  regiment  was  detailed  successively  to  Lyons  and 
Douai  and  while  it  was  at  this  latter  place  Napoleon 
obtained  leave  of  absence  that  permitted  him  to  visit 
his  mother  at  Ajaccio,  from  which  place  he  returned 
direct  to  Paris  where  he  put  up  at  the  Hotel  de  Cher- 
bourg, Rue  des  Four  Saint  Honore,  and  remained  there 
until  summoned  to  rejoin  his  regiment  at  Auxonne,  May 
i,  1788. 

The  work  and  the  privations,  as  often  he  had  no  other 
nourishment  than  milk  because  he  was  without  money 
to  purchase  suitable  food,  finally  brought  on  a  serious 
illness. 

Alone  and  unattended  Napoleon  recovered  his  health 
gradually,  and  then,  in  order  to  lighten  his  mother's 
burden,  she  having  eight  children  to  care  for,  he 
sent  for  his  young  brother  Louis  to  come  to  him  at 
Paris.  The  child  joined  him  and  together  they  lived  on 
92.15  francs  ($18.43)  Per  month.  They  occupied  two 


67     

rooms  that  were  without  fire  and  without  furniture.  In 
one  of  these  rooms  was  a  second-hand  cot  bed,  a  paper- 
covered  trunk,  a  straw-seated  chair  and  a  kitchen  table 
with  a  plain,  unpainted  and  uncovered  top.  Here  worked 
and  slept  and  ate  the  future  master  of  the  Tuileries  and 
of  Saint  Cloud. 

In  the  second  room  there  was  nothing  but  a  mattress 
thrown  upon  the  floor,  and  there  slept  Louis,  the  future 
King  of  Holland.  Here  also  Napoleon  cleaned  his  own 
and  his  brother's  clothes  and  boots,  and  with  his  own 
hands  prepared  their  daily  meals,  which  on  six  days  of 
the  week  consisted  of  soup  alone.  Speaking  of  these  ter- 
rible years  of  want  and  deprivation,  upon  one  occasion, 
when  as  Emperor  he  was  surrounded  by  the  most  brill- 
iant court  in  Europe,  he  said: 

"  I  would  have  you  know  that  I,  monsieur,  when  I 
had  the  honor  of  being  a  second  lieutenant,  made  my 
breakfast  on  dry  bread,  but  I  bolted  my  door  on  my 
poverty,  in  public  I  never  caused  my  comrades  to  blush 
for  me." 

Poverty  had  made  him  chaste,  and  inclined  his  thoughts 
to  wage  war  against  love.  He  anathematized  woman 
and  gave  utterance  to  his  famous  remark.  "  I  believe 
love  is  a  menace  to  society,  a  menace  to  individuality;  I 
believe  love  brings  more  misery  than  happiness." 

And  the  virtuous  Catharine  who,  humble  washer  of  his 
linen  though  she  were,  had  formed  a  strong  .attachment 
for  Napoleon  before  she  met  Lefebvre,  was  not  slow  in 
perceiving  that  Napoleon  in  practice  lived  up  strictly 
to  the  severe  philosophy  he  expressed. 

Promoted  to  be  first  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Artillery, 
Bonaparte  went  back  to  Valence,  taking  his  brother 
Louis  with  him.  There  he  lived  his  usual  life  of 
study  and  sedentary  enjoyment.  The  country  was  then 
on  the  eve  of  revolution  and  he  became  a  warm  advo- 
cate of  liberty  and  the  emancipation  of  the  people. 
When  he  saw  the  signs  of  uprising  becoming  stronger 


68     

and  nearer  he  talked,  he  wrote,  he  agitated,  his  name 
was  inscribed  on  the  membership  roll  of  the  club  of  the 
Friends  of  the  Constitution,  and  later  he  became  its 
secretary. 

In  October,  1791,  he  asked  a  leave  of  absence  for  three 
months  for  the  benefit  of  his  health  and  to  visit  his 
family.  It  was  granted,  and  he  went  to  Corsica 

There,  in  the  midst  of  his  own  people,  he  made  him- 
self popular,  and  was  nominated  as  chief  of  a  battalion 
in  the  National  Guards  of  Ajaccio.  This  command 
would  give  him  public  prominence  and  influence,  and 
his  pretensions  to  the  position  were  warmly  contested. 
His  principal  opponent  was  Marius  Peraldi,  member  of 
an  influential  family,  and  recognizing  the  strength  of 
this  opposition  Napoleon  put  forth  every  effort  to  gain 
supporters.  So  energetically  did  both  candidates  work 
that  Ajaccio  was  soon  divided  into  two  factions,  and  so 
high  did  feeling  run  that  the  central  government  of  the 
island  sent  three  commissioners  to  the  scene,  for  the 
purpose  of  quieting  the  tumult  and  seeing  to  it  that  the 
election  went  off  properly.  The  principal  commissioner 
was  a  man  named  Muratori,who  at  once  upon  reach- 
ing Ajaccio  took  up  his  residence  with  Marius  Peraldi, 
and  with  the  self-evident  design  of  thus  influencing 
votes  for  Peraldi  and  against  Bonaparte,  as  the  weight 
of  official  preferences  was  a  powerful  factor  in  the 
political  events  of  Corsica. 

The  friends  of  Napoleon  were  discouraged  by  this 
move  on  the  part  of  the  commissioner,  and  felt  that  the 
success  of  Peraldi  was  assured.  Napoleon  himself, 
however,  did  not  give  way  to  this  feeling,  but  in  the 
realization  that  desperate  measures  had  then  become 
necessary  in  order  to  counteract  the  influence  his  oppo- 
nent had  suddenly  acquired,  he  devised  a  plan  which 
was  original  and  audacious. 

He  disclosed  the  plot  to  a  number  of  his  sturdy 
adherents,  and  they,  armed  to  the  teeth,  went  to  the 


69    

residence  of  Peraldi  one  evening  at  the  hour  when  that 
gentleman  was  entertaining  his  guests  at  a  sumptuous 
banquet.  Rushing  into  the  house  the  armed  band 
invaded  the  dining-hall,  and  seizing  the  astounded  and 
frightened  Muratori,  they  marched  him  away,  sur- 
rounded by  a  strong  guard. 

The  commissioner,  more  dead  than  alive,  was  taken 
to  the  home  of  Bonaparte  who  was  waiting  to  receive 
him,  and  who,  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  prisoner  enter  the 
door  sprang  forward  to  greet  him,  and  grasping  both 
his  hands,  he  pressed  them  warmly  saying  at  the  same 
time  and  in  the  most  amiable  voice: 

"You  are  indeed  welcome  at  my  house;  I  heard  you 
were  stopping  for  a  time  with  my  friend  Peraldi.  Let 
me  offer  you  a  chair,  my  dear  commissioner." 

Muratori  glanced  mutely  towards  the  door  but  see- 
ing there  a  line  of  stolid  countrymen,  each  with  a 
loaded  musket  ready  for  use,  he  reluctantly  but  firmly 
accepted  the  proffered  hospitality.  Napoleon  entertained 
his  unwilling  visitor  with  the  most  engaging  conversa- 
tion, assumed  absolute  ignorance  of  any  physical  force 
being  present,  and  the  commissioner  remained  all  night 
where  he  was. 

The  next  day  was  that  of  election.  Napoleon's  allies 
noised  it  about  early  that  Muratori  had  deserted  Peraldi 
the  previous  evening  and  come  over  to  their  side;  voters 
were  walked  past  Napoleon's  house  so  they  might  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  commissioner,  who  was  led  up  to  the 
windows  at  regular  intervals  for  the  purpose  of  being 
seen.  When  the  polls  were  closed,  Napoleon  had  been 
elected. 

The  coup  at  Ajaccio  presaged  the  greater  coup  at 
St.  Cloud. 

The  act  of  Bonaparte,  in  accepting  a  command  of  a 
territorial  force  while  he  was  yet  a  member  of  the  active 
army,  was  decidedly  irregular,  but  this  was  a  revolu- 
tionary period  and  it  is  quite  certain  had  the  times 


70     

been  different  the  indiscretion  would  have  cost  him 
dear  ;  as  it  was,  the  only  result  that  followed  was  an 
extension  of  his  leave  of  absence. 

The  motive  that  prompted  him  to  seek  a  post  at  the 


head  of  a  militia  corps,  where  he  enjoyed  the  grade  of 
lieutenant-colonel,  was  neither  military  ambition  nor 
political  ardor;  it  was  money,  the  one  question  that 
prompted  his  every  action  at  this  period.  His  pay  in 
this  new  post  in  the  National  Guard  was  162  francs 


_      m_  tj     *  _    J|r, 

($32.40)  per  month,  was  just  double  that  received  by 
him  as  a  lieutenant  of  artillery. 

With  this  sum  he  could  aid  in  the  support  of  his  nu- 
merous family,  and  give  some  attention  to  the  education 
of  Louis.  That  was  the  motive  that  decided  him  to  remain 
for  a  time  in  Corsica.  Napoleon,  during  his  life,  was, 
to  some  degree,  a  victim  of  his  family. 

In  thus  taking  command  of  the  battalion  at  Ajaccio, 
he  did  not  desert  from  the  regular  army,  as  some  have 
charged.  The  National  Guard  in  Corsica  was  in  active 
service,  it  was  assimilated  with  the  army,  and  Napoleon 
always  claimed  that  a  decree  of  the  Assembly  authorized 
officers  in  the  active  army  to  serve  in  battalions  of  the 
National  Guard. 

Finally  summoned  by  his  colonel,  Maillard,  Bonaparte 
went  to  Paris  for  the  purpose  of  having  his  action 
inquired  into  and  to  plead  his  cause  before  the  Minister 
of  War.  He  hoped  that  he  would  be  permitted  to  return 
to  Corsica,  but  instead  of  that  he  was  forced  to  again 
take  up  his  residence  in  Paris  and  resume  his  lonely 
existence. 

He  secured  apartments  in  a  cheap  hotel  and  as  often 
as  possible  dined  with  M.  and  Madame  Permon,  ac- 
quaintances he  had  made  at  Valence,  and  whose 
daughter  afterwards  married  Junot  and  became  Duchess 
d'Abrantes.  Later  Napoleon  seriously  considered  the 
idea  of  offering  himself  to  Madame  Permon,  who  was 
then  a  widow  and  was  possessed  of  some  fortune. 

Notwithstanding  his  economy  he  was  at  this  time 
deeply  in  debt,  he  owed  fifteen  francs  to  the  keeper  of 
the  cheapest  eating-house  in  Paris,  and  Catharine  Sans- 
Gene  held  his  note  for  forty-five  francs  for  washing. 
His  associates  were  few,  he  spending  his  time  with 
Junot,  Marmont,  and  Bourrienne,  all  of  them  being 
equally  poor. 

The  morning  of  August  loth,  Bonaparte  was  awak- 
ened by  the  sound  of  the  tocsin  and  became  a  simple 


spectator  of  the  incidents  that  followed.  He  went  to  the 
bric-a-brac  shop  of  Fauvelet  de  Bourrienne,  brother 
of  his  comrade,  whose  windows  looked  out  upon  the 
Place  de  Carousel.  He  was  without  money  in  his 
pockets  and  not  caring  to  be  entirely  penniless  on  this 
day  of  the  revolution,  he  pawned  his  watch  with  Fau- 
velet, receiving  on  it  fifteen  francs. 

Napoleon  remained  in  the  shop  until  noon,  and  then, 
the  strife  having  ended,  he  regained  his  own  room, 
saddened  by  the  sight  of  the  dead  bodies  lying  about 
the  streets  and  sickened  by  the  smell  of  blood. 

In  after  years,  when  he  became  the  great  butcher  of 
Europe,  he  forgot  the  blood  that  he  caused  to  flow  from 
his  people,  and  the  mountains  of  bodies  that  followed 
his  progress,  and  he  often  recalled  the  horror  of  this 
spectacle.  When  at  Saint  Helene  he  expressed  the 
indignation  and  horror  that  possessed  him  when  he 
viewed  the  innumerable  victims  of  the  Swiss  and  of  the 
Chevaliers,  on  his  way  from  the  shop  to  the  hotel  on  that 
bloody  morning  of  August  loth. 


VIII. 

THE    PRETTY    SERGEANT. 

IT  was  a  man  unknown,  obscure,  mysterious  that 
Catharine  found  in  his  forbidding  room  at  the  hotel,  a 
man  impatiently  awaiting  what  fortune  might  have  in 
store  for  him,  irritated  by  its  capriciousness  and  delay, 
a  man  who  had  resolved  to  admit  anything  that  knocked 
at  his  door. 

On  his  return  from  the  Carousel,  on  this  bloody 
morning  of  the  loth  of  August,  he  had  endeavored  to 
find  in  persistent  work  a  repose  of  spirit,  distraction  for 
his  thoughts  that  he  might  forget  the  tragic  spectacle 
that  had  offended  his  eyes  as  he  looked  at  it  from  the 


73 

windows  of  the  shop  where  he  had  sought  refuge.  He 
had  taken  down  a  map  and  given  his  time  to  the  atten- 
tive study  of  the  region  of  the  Midi,  the  littoral  of  the 
Mediterranean,  Marseilles,  and  the  vicinity  of  Toulon, 
where  the  agitation  of  the  royalists  was  extreme  and 
was  menaced  by  the  English  fleet  lying  off  the  shore. 

From  time  to  time  he  looked  up  from  the  map  before 
him  and  resting  his  head  between  his  hands  he  appeared 
to  be  thinking  intently. 

He  saw  then  in  his  mind's  eye  captured  cities,  and 
himself  riding  in,  mounted  upon  a  white  horse,  the  vic- 
tor of  these  conquered  peoples,  great  crowds  shouting 
about  him,  amid  the  acclamations  of  his  soldiers.  Then 
he  saw  a  bridge  over  which  he  fought  his  way,  the  flag 
of  his  country  in  his  hand,  his  loyal  battalions  following 
him,  the  enemy  fleeing  before  him.  Then  he  saw 
strange  troops,  attired  in  rich  vestments  embroidered 
in  gold,  who  came  to  him,  and  gathered  around  him, 
and  threw  their  weapons  upon  the  ground  and  bowed 
their  turbans  before  his  tent.  He  saw  triumphal 
marches  amid  vanquished  opponents  in  far-off  countries, 
in  strange  and  ancient  countries,  the  broiling  sun  of  the 
Midi  shone  upon  his  head,  the  snows  of  the  North  froze 
his  blood,  and  with  it  all  there  were  fetes,  receptions, 
conquered  kings  and  queens  offering  him  alliances, 
there  was  glory,  there  was  an  apotheosis. 

It  was  a  fantastic  dream  based  on  nothing,  and  it  dis- 
appeared when  he  brushed  his  hands  through  his  hair 
and  dashed  water  over  his  haggard  face.  He  opened 
his  eyes,  and  the  reality  of  his  desperate  condition  was 
impressed  upon  him. 

He  was  without  money,  without  employment,  the 
Ministry  had  ignored  his  prayers,  the  officials  were  hos- 
tile, he  had  no  friend,  no  protection.  His  misery  was 
black  and  overpowering,  the  phantasms  of  his  ambition 
were  dissipated  by  the  brutal  reality  of  his  life;  his  proj 
ects  were  no  more  than  a  house  built  of  cards. 


74 


He  resolved  while  he  sat  there  to  quit  France  and 
seek  a  commission  in  the  service  of  Turkey.  Then  he 
returned  to  his  maps  and  his  eye  sought  the  borders  of 
the  Mediterranean,  where  he  was  cradled  as  a  child, 
where  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  was  the  first  sound 
that  he  remembered. 

Oh,  if  he  could  be  there,  where  he  could  do  battle 
for  his  country  in  the  face  of  the  English  guns  ! 

There  came  two  knocks  at  the  door.  Napoleon  hesi- 
tated, he  could  brave  danger  without  a  qualm,  he  went 
into  battle  without  a  tremor,  but  he  was  startled  by  the 
helpless  condition  in  which  he  was  placed  and  the 
thought  that  this  new-comer  was  there  to  demand  money 
from  him  which  he  did  not  have. 

Again  came  the  knock,  this  time  much  louder. 
"  It  is  probably  Maugard,  who  has  come  up  for  me  to 
pay  that  note!  "  Napoleon  said  uneasily.     "  But  I  must 
see  him.     Come  in!  " 

But  the  door  did  not  open. 

"  Come  in!  "  he  repeated  impatiently  and  in  an  angry 

tone,  and  then  he  said  to 
himself,  "  No,  it  can't  be 
the  housekeeper,  and  Ju- 
not  or  Bourrienne  would 
not  wait  for  an  answer. 
Who  can  it  be  that  has 
come  here  to-day?"  He 
was  uneasy  because  he 
was  not  in  the  habit  of 
receiving  visitors.  He 
looked  toward  the  door 
waiting  for  the  intruder 
to  appear. 

The  key  rested  in  its 
lock,  the  door  was  free 
and  slowly  it  opened  dis- 
closing a  young  man 


75    

wearing  a  uniform.  A  genteel  young  man,  a  fresh-looking 
young  man  with  pink  cheeks  and  delicate  complexion, 
without  a  beard  and  with  expressive  dark  eyes.  On  his 
arm  was  the  mark  of  a  sergeant,  and  the  mark  was  new 
as  though  he  had  been  but  that  day  appointed. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  of  me  ? "  Napoleon  roughly 
demanded. 

The  young  sergeant  made  a  military  salute. 

"  Is  it  the  captain  of  artillery,  Bonaparte,  that  I  have 
the  honor  to  address?"  the  young  man  said  in  a  sweet, 
low  voice. 

"  Yes,  what  business  have  you  with  him  ? " 

"  My  name  is  Rene,"  the  young  man  said  with 
hesitancy. 

"  Rene,  well,  who  are  you?"  and  Bonaparte  glared 
rather  savagely  upon  the  visitor. 

"  Yes,  my  name  is  Rene,"  the  sergeant  replied  with  a 
little  more  assurance  in  his  voice,  "  and  I  belong  to  the 
battalion  of  volunteers  from  Mayenne-et-Loire,  and  I  am 
called  the  pretty  sergeant." 

"  Well,  you  certainly  deserve  your  name,"  said  Bona- 
parte sarcastically,  "you  certainly  have  a  very  pretty  air, 
but  a  trifle  too  coquettish  for  a  soldier." 

"You  should  see  me  under  fire,  captain,"  the  young 
man  responded,  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height. 

Bonaparte  made  a  grimace  and  looked  in  a  melan- 
choly sort  of  way  at  the  youth  and  then  growled: 

"  Under  fire  !  They  certainly  wouldn't  send  you  there  ! 
But  what  is  it  you  want,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ? " 

"  Well,  captain,  you  see  my  battalion  is  commanded 
by  M.  de  Beaurepaire  " 

"  Brave  man,  an  energetic  soldier,  I  know  him  well  and 
I  admire  him,"  Bonaparte  interrupted.  "  And  where  is 
your  battalion  now  ?  " 

"In  Paris.  Only  for  a  few  days.  We  arrived  from 
Angers,  and  we  have  requested  the  honor  of  being  sent 
to  the  front;  we  are  now  going  to  the  relief  of  Verdun." 


' 76     

"  Good  !  You  must  be  very  happy  to  be  able  to  go 
into  active  service,"  Napoleon  replied  with  a  tinge  of 
regret  in  his  voice.  "  Now,  what  is  it  that  you  want 
from  me  ? " 

"Well,  captain,  I  have  a  brother  in  Marcel " 

"Your  brother's  name  is  Marcel  ?"  Napoleon  asked. 

"  Marcel  Rene  !  "  answered  the  pretty  sergeant,  look- 
ing a  little  troubled  and  dropping  his  eyes  beneath  the 
steady  glance  of  the  artillery  captain.  "  My  brother  is 
a  doctor,  he  has  been  attached  as  aide  to  the  Fourth 
Regiment  of  artillery  at  Valence." 

"That's  my  regiment,  or  rather  my  ex-regiment !" 

"Yes,  captain;  I  have  been  told  that  you  could  be 
found  here  in  Paris;  a  member  of  the  National  Guard 
told  me  so  this  morning,  Lefebvre,  the  sergeant,  perhaps 
you  know  him  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  Lefebvre  is  a  brave  fellow,  I  know  him. 
What  did  he  say  to  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  thought  perhaps — possibl)'  you  would  say  a 
word  to  the  commander — maybe  with  your  influence, 
my  brother  might  be  permitted  " 

Napoleon  was  thinking  very  hard,  but  without  taking 
his  eyes  from  the  pretty  sergeant  who  seemed  to  grow 
more  and  more  embarrassed,  but  the  embarrassment 
was  finally  pushed  aside  by  an  effort,  and,  as  if  resolving 
to  say  all  that  he  had  to  say  as  quickly  as  possible,  the 
visitor  tumbled  his  words  out  so  rapidly  that  Napoleon 
could  hardly  understand  him. 

"  Well,  what  I  want  is  to  have  my  brother  sent  from 
the  regiment  at  Valence  to  the  army  of  the  North,  he 
wants  to  be  with  me  and  I  don't  want  to  lose  sight  of 
him,  we  want  to  be  near  to  each  other  and  if  he  should 
be  wounded  I  would  know  where  to  find  him,  perhaps 
I  might  be  able  to  save  him.  Oh,  captain,  won't  you 
do  all  you  can  to  make  us  happy  in  this  way;  if  you  can 
only  bring  us  together  again,  you  shall  have  our  eternal 
gratitude." 


77     

Napoleon  arose  from  his  chair  and  going  over  to  the 
sergeant  he  put  his  hand  on  that  officer's  arm  and  said: 

"My  child,  I  can  do  nothing  for  you,  nor  for  him 
whom  you  call  your  brother.  Lefebvre  should  have  told 
you  that  I  am  without  an  assignment,  without  any  stand- 
ing; they  have  taken  away  my  sword  and  my  influence 
in  the  Fourth  Artillery  amounts  to  nothing;  it  would  be 
useless  to  you,  I  have  not  a  single  friend  in  Paris;  I  am 
alone  and  I  require  influence  myself.  I  can  only  say  that 
I  am  acquainted  with  the  brother  of  an  influential  man, 
a  former  deputy  named  Maximilian  Robespierre;  he  lives 
quite  near  here  in  the  Rue  Saint  Honore,  and  perhaps  he 
will  do  for  you  what  he  would  probably  refuse  me.  Go 
and  see  young  Robespierre." 

"  Thanks,  captain;  how  can  I  ever  express  my  grati- 
tude?" 

Bonaparte  raised  his  finger  and  shaking  it  at  the 
young  sergeant,  while  a  broad  smile  spread  over  his  face, 
said: 

"  I  tell  you  what  you  can  do,  my  brave  sergeant,  put 
on  the  clothes  that  belong  to  your  sex  for  you  are  tak- 
ing big  chances  in  that  costume  just  now." 

The  pretty  sergeant  forthwith  began  to  tremble,  and 
said: 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,  captain,  there  is  no  treason  in  it; 
be  generous  and  don't  divulge  my  disguise.  I  am  a 
woman  ! " 

"Yes,  I  had  a  suspicion  of  that  when  you  came  in," 
said,  Napoleon  all  his  good  humor  restored;  "but  how 
about  your  comrades  and  your  officers  ?  have  they  dis- 
covered it  ? " 

"  Well,  we  have  in  our  battalion  a  good  many  very 
young  people,  and  really,  captain,  I  take  the  service  very 
seriously." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it;  so  you  are  a  volunteer,  and  you 
want  to  join  the  army  of  the  North,  and  you  want  this 
doctor,  this  aide,  Marcel,  for  whom  your  affection  as  a 


78     

brother  is  certainly  very  touching,  you  want  him  to  be 
enrolled  with  you.  Oh  !  don't  think  for  a  moment  that 
I  ask  you  to  tell  me  your  history;  keep  that  as  your  own 
secret.  You  have  interested  me  and  if  I  can  do  any- 
thing at  all  for  you,  you  can  count  on  me.  Now  go  and 
see  Robespierre;  tell  him  his  friend,  Bonaparte,  sug- 
gested that  you  see  him." 

And  he  pressed  the  hand  of  the  pretty  sergeant,  who 
went  away  with  every  evidence  of  joy.  Napoleon  looked 
after  Rene  until  she  had  disappeared  from  sight,  his 
face  lighted  up  for  an  instant  and  he  muttered  to  him- 
self as  if  in  envy: 

"  They  are  in  love,  and  they  want  to  fight  together  for 
their  country  !  They  must  be  happy  !  " 

He  reseated  himself  at  his  table,  and  with  his  finger 
he  traced  upon  the  map  the  roads  to  Toulon,  the  great 
maritime  centre  of  the  Midi,  and  exclaimed  in  exulta- 
tion: 

"  Oh,  if  I  could  fight  the  English  !  and  that  is  the  place 
to  fight  them,  there  !  " 

His  finger  was  fixed  upon  a  point  on  the  map,  an  un- 
known place  visible  only  to  himself,  but  where  in  his 
thoughts  he  could  see  a  vanquished  English  fleet. 


IX. 


THE    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    MADAME    SANS  GENE. 

AFTER  the  departure  of  the  pretty  sergeant  Bonaparte 
sank  back  into  the  somnolence  of  his  thoughts  and  the 
unconsciousness  of  his  work.  Engrossed,  before  the 
map,  in  the  vast  projects  he  had  conceived  for  the 
defense  of  the  Mediterranean  littoral,  he  drew  his  rest- 
less eye  over  the  lines  that  marked  the  mountains  sepa- 
rating France  from  Piedmont,  the  key  to  Italy. 

In  the  midst  of  the  strategic  calculations  he  was  pro- 
jecting in  his  mind,  a  second  knock  came  at  the  door. 


79 

"What  !  again  !"  Bonaparte  exclaimed,  impatiently; 
"  that  is  strange.  This  appears  to  me  to  be  my  day  for 
visitors.  Who  is  it  ?  "  he  shouted. 

"  It  is  I,  Catharine,  the  washerwoman,"  a  female  voice 
replied. 

"Come  in,"  Napoleon  answered. 

Catharine  entered,  slightly  embarrassed  and  holding 
her  basket  on  her  arm. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  disturb  you,  captain,"  she  timidly 
explained,  "  but  I  have  brought  home  your  linen.  I 
thought,  perhaps,  you  might  need  it." 

Without  raising  his  eyes,  Bonaparte  responded: 

"  The  wash  !     All  right,  put  it  on  the  bed." 

Catharine  looked  -at  the  bed  indicated  by  the  indif- 
ferent wave  of  Bonaparte's  hand.  She  changed  her  basket 
from  one  arm  to  the  other,  and  then  she  drew  from  her 
pocket  the  note  which  she  had  brought  with  her  and 
hesitated  as  though  undecided  as  to  some  action  she 
wished  to  take.  She  looked  at  the  neat  little  shoes  she 
wore  and  glanced  from  the  corner  of  her  eyes  towards 
Bonaparte,  who  was  leaning  over  the  map  spread  upon 
the  table  and  apparently  oblivious  to  everything  else 
around  him.  Catharine  moved  noisily  to  attract  Bona- 
parte's attention. 

"  He  is  not  very  gallant,"  she  thought,  and  as  he  gave 
no  heed  to  her  movement,  she  became  piqued  and 
coughed  violently. 

"  Oh,  are  you  there  yet  ? "  Bonaparte  said,  with  a 
slight  trace  of  impatience  in  his  voice  and  the  suspicion 
of  a  frown  on  his  face.  "  What  are  you  waiting  for  ? " 

"Pardon  me,  captain;  but  I  want  to  tell  you  that  I 
am  going  to  get  married,"  Catharine  said  with  a  lively, 
flirtatious  air,  blushing  violently  at  the  same  moment 
until  her  cheeks  looked  like  ripe  apples  and  the  flush  on 
her  plump  neck  was  visible  through  her  fichu. 

"  So,  you  are  going  to  get  married  !  "  said  Napoleon, 
rather  stiffly;  "  well,  I  suppose  it  will  be  the  best  thing 


So     

for  you,  I  certainly  hope  you  will  be  happy.  Who  shall 
you  marry,  some  washerboy  ?  " 

"  No,  captain,"  Catharine  replied,  energetically;  "he 
is  a  soldier,  a  sergeant." 

"  Ah,  that  is  good,  you  do  well  to  marry  into  the  mili- 
tary, mademoiselle,"  Napoleon  continued  in  an  amiable 
tone;  "to  be  a  soldier  is  to  be  twice  a  patriot.  lam 
glad  you  have  had  such  a  good  chance." 

Bonaparte  returned  to  his  work,  for  his  interest  in  love 
and  its  affairs  was  no  more  than  mediocre,  and  especially 
in  the  love  affair  of  his  washerwoman.  But  as  his  eye 
sought  the  threadlike  roads  wandering  over  the  map  it 
also  fell  upon  the  well-filled  corsage  of  Catharine,  and 
thence  it  rested  on  the  fresh  cheeks  that  bespoke  such 
radiant  health  and  such  opulence  of  blood,  the  glorious 
tint  with  which  they  were  overspread  contrasting  so 
charmingly  with  the  meek  and  modest  mien  he  had 
noticed  when  she  first  entered. 

Napoleon's  preferences  in  the  world  of  women  always 
took  the  direction  of  voluptuousness,  the  perceptible 
contours,  the  swelling  limb,  the  dress  bursting  with  the 
beauty  it  confined  while  failing  to  conceal  were  the 
characteristics  of  those  fortunate  ladies  to  whom  Napo- 
leon paid  his  addresses,  whether  as  the  poor  officer,  the 
nervous  First  Consul,  or  the  easier  and  redundant 
Emperor.  And  thus  the  robust  charms  of  Catharine 
drove  from  him  all  thoughts  of  his  strategic  manoeuvres 
or  the  conquests  he  pictured  for  his  future. 

Napoleon  seldom  hesitated,  and  while  his  gallantry 
may  have  been  slightly  allied  to  brutality,  it  was  as  im- 
pulsive as  his  more  serious  actions;  maps  played  no  part 
in  the  game  where  a  pretty  arm  and  neck  were  to  be 
considered,  and,  with  one  movement,  the  chair  upon 
which  he  had  been  seated  was  pushed  away  that  he 
might  throw  his  ready  arm  around  the  inviting  neck  of 
the  pretty  girl  and  press  his  roving  hands  upon  her  agi- 
tated bosom. 


8i 


Catharine  gave  a  little  cry  and  cleverly  slid  from  the 
embraces  of  her  companion.     But  the  future  conqueror 


, 


of  Europe  was  not  to  be  so  readily  rebuffed,  and  he  re- 
doubled his  ardent  efforts  until  Catharine,  laughingly 
contesting  every  step  of  her  retreat,  came  against  the  side 


82       

of  the  bed  and  with  such  sudden  surprise,  as  to  fall  full 
length  upon  it  to  the  utter  destruction  of  the  beautifully 
starched  linen  she  had  placed  there  but  a  few  moments 
before,  and  where  she  now  found  the  battlefield  that, 
without  the  trammels  of  a  false  modesty,  she  was  forced 
to  contest  with  every  resource  at  her  command. 

From  Napoleon's  mind  all  interest  in  Toulon  and  the 
littoral  had  disappeared;  such  work  had  no  place  in  his 
catalogue  of  pleasures  at  that  moment,  and  the  siege 
that  was  occupying  him  just  then  was  far  more  impor- 
tant and  real  than  the  others  that  only  existed  in  his 
hopes  and  imagination,  and,  despite  the  skillful  employ- 
ment of  her  clothes  basket  that  Catharine  used  as  a 
defense,  Napoleon  was  fast  realizing  in  this,  his  first 
active  engagement,  the  triumph  that  in  later  years 
attended  his  greater  campaigns,  when  Catharine  in  a 
surprised  and  startled  voice  exclaimed: 

"No!  no!  captain,  it  is  too  late!  You  cannot  take 
me!  I  am  engaged!  What  will  my  husband  say?" 

Napoleon  looked  earnestly  into  her  face  and  asked: 

"  Tell  me  truly,  is  this  marriage  a  serious  matter  ?  " 

"  It  is  most  serious,"  Catharine  replied,  looking  up  at 
her  tormentor,  "  and  when  I  came  here  to  tell  you  about 
it,  it  was  to  say  that  I  could  not  continue  to  do  your 
washing." 

"  Are  you  going  to  close  your  shop,  my  dear  girl  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  shall  give  up  washing.  I  intend  being  with 
my  husband." 

"What,  with  the  regiment?" 

"  Certainly,  why  not  ?  " 

"  Only  at  present  the  army  has  no  conveniences  for 
housekeeping,  but,  perhaps,"  Bonaparte  rejoined  in  a 
tone  of  raillery,  "  you  intend  learning  to  drill,  or  to 
manoeuvre  cannon?" 

"  I  can  already  handle  a  gun,  captain,  and  as  for  the 
cannon,  I  shall  have  to  take  lessons  from  you,  because 
my  man  is  in  the  infantry."  Catharine  was  now  all 


smiles.  "  No,  I  don't  want  to  fire  off  any  guns,  at  least 
not  unless  I  am  compelled  to,  but  if  they  do  happen  to 
stand  in  need  of  a  cantiniere,  why  I  think  I  could  give 
them  entire  satisfaction — and  I  hope,  captain,  that  you 
will  let  me  have  your  custom,  that  is  of  course  if  you 
serve  on  our  side." 

"  I  shall  inscribe  myself  as  a  member  of  your  canteen 
— but  not  at  present,  my  dear,  the  ministry  will  not  now 

permit  me  to  fight;  they  won't  permit  me  to  " he  had 

begun  to  say  "  won't  permit  me  to  eat,"  but  checked 
himself  in  time  to  conclude  his  comments  by  saying: 
"  Won't  permit  me  to  spend  their  money  in  any  can- 
teen, but  later,  my  dear  girl,  later  it  will  be  different." 

Napoleon  returned  to  the  table  and  Catharine  with 
unrestrained  sympathy,  gave  utterance  to  her  feelings 
at  the  unmistakable  sadness  these  few  words  had 
aroused  in  Napoleon's  heart,  at  the  neglect  he  suffered 
from  the  indifferent  Ministry.  She  rearranged  the 
despoiled  linen  as  well  as  she  might,  and,  making  a 
graceful  courtesy,  she  opened  the  door  as  though  to  go, 
but  recalling  something  she  had  forgotten,  she  turned 
again  to  Bonaparte  and  said: 

"  Captain,  I  destroyed  one  of  your  shirts,  but  I  have 
given  you  another  for  it,  you  will  find  it  there  on  the 
bed.  Au  revoir,  captain." 

"  Au  revoir,  until  we  meet  at  your  canteen,  my  dear." 

As  she  went  down  the  stairs  she  murmured  to  herself: 

"I  brought  that  note  with  me,  but  I  didn't  have  the 
courage  to  give  it  to  him.  Pshaw!  he  will  pay  me 
some  day  ;  I'm  willing  to  trust  him  ;  I  am  not  like 
Citizen  Fouche,  I  am  sure  he  will  make  a  name  for 
himself." 

Thinking  thus  and  enjoying  the  pleasant  memory  of 
her  amusing  escapade,  Catharine  was  in  a  particularly 
good  humor,  and  all  sorts  of  extravagant  ideas  ran 
through  her  foolish  mind. 

"  If  he  had  only  spoken  earlier,  not  to-day,  of  course 


84     

not,  but  some  other  time,  before  I  had  become  engaged 
to  Lefebvre  " 

She  interrupted  the  train  of  tardy  regrets  and  tried 
to  drive  the  picture  of  the  poor  artillery  officer  from  her 
thoughts. 

"  I  must  cure  myself  by  not  thinking  of  him;  he  never 
thinks  of  me.  I  will  go  to  the  shop,  perhaps  Lefebvre  is 
there.  He  loves  me  I  am  sure,  and  I  am  just  as  certain 
he  will  make  a  much  better  husband  than  this  Captain 
Bonaparte  would." 

She  hurried  along,  and,  as  she  approached  her  shop, 
she  heard  shouts  and  great  cries  in  the  streets,  and,  won- 
dering what  it  might  be,  she  turned  the  corner  nearest 
to  her  home  with  apprehension  and  uncertainty  within 
her.  But  it  was  a  peaceful  scene  and  all  the  neighbors 
took  part  in  it.  There  was  Lefebvre,  without  his  mus- 
ket, his  shoulder  belt  thrown  off,  but  in  his  hand  a  naked 
sabre  ornamented  with  golden  dragons;  his  comrades 
were  around  him  and  they  made  a  triumphal  proces- 
sion. 

"  Catharine,  I  am  a  lieutenant,"  he  cried  as  soon  as 
she  came  in  sight,  and  as  he  joyously  ran  to  the  side  of 
his  fiance. 

"  Long  live  Lieutenant  Lefebvre,"  clamored  the  guards- 
men, throwing  their  caps  and  muskets  into  the  air. 

"  Thank  you,  comrades,"  said  the  new  officer,  present- 
ing Catharine  to  them,  "  and  long  live  Citoyenne 
Lefebvre,  because  she  is  my  wife;  we  are  to  be  married 
next  week  !  " 

"  Long  live  Citoyenne  Lefebvre  !  "  the  guards  enthu- 
siastically echoed. 

"  Long  live  Madame  Sans-Gene,"  the  neighbors  took 
up  the  cry. 

"Don't  shout  so  loud,"  Catharine  whispered  to  Le- 
febvre, thinking  of  Neipperg  who  was  asleep  in  the 
little  bedroom  off  the  shop. 

~  f  '?•  f  .••*-* 


85       

In  the  bare  room  at  the  Hotel  de  Metz,  meanwhile, 
the  officer  of  artillery,  without  money  and  without  em- 
ployment, having  finished  his  study  of  the  map,  had  put 
it  carefully  aside  and  arranged  his  linen  with  due  con- 
sideration for  its  cleanliness,  on  the  wooden  table. 

"  Happily  she  did  not  present  the  note  !  "  said  the 
future  Emperor  with  satisfaction  that  she  had  forgotten 
it  and  thus  had  not  exposed  him  to  the  mortification  of 
admitting  his  inability  to  pay. 

He  mentally  went  over  his  debts. 

"  I  must  owe  her  at  least  thirty  francs,  perhaps  more 
than  that.  The  devil  !  the  very  first  money  I  get  I 
must  pay  her,  she  is  a  good  girl,  Catharine,  and  I  won't 
forget  her." 

Then  he  dressed  in  his  only  other  suit  and  went  to  dine 
with  his  friends,  the  Permons. 

This  modest  debt  Napoleon  owed  remained  unpaid 
for  many  years. 

And  Napoleon  went  to  his  acceptable  dinner  thinking 
no  more  of  the  washerwoman's  note,  and  unconscious 
of  the  part  it  was  destined  to  play  in  the  history  of 
Neipperg,  Blanche,  the  pretty  sergeant,  Marcel,  little 
Henriot,  the  adventures  and  glory  of  Catharine  who  was 
in  succession  the  washerwoman,  the  cantiniere,  the 
Marchioness  Lefebvre  and  the  Duchess  of  Dantzic,  and 
of  a  multitude  of  other  characters  sympathetic  and  pop- 
ular, old  and  young,  heroic  and  charitable. 

X. 

THE    INTERCEPTED    LETTER. 

"  THERE  they  go;  they  won't  stop.  See  what  a  racket 
that  driver  makes  when  he  passes  here;  it  appears  to  me 
as  though  he  did  it  for  very  defiance." 

"  There  are  not  many  travellers  to-day,  anyhow." 
"  I  have  seen  more.     Those  must  be  going  to  the  Lion 
d'Or." 


86     

"Or  the  Cheval  Blanc." 

The  words  were  emphasized  by  a  sigh,  and  at  every 
period  there  was  a  melancholy  choking  as  though  salva- 
tion were  rolling  out  of  reach  in  the  post-chaise.  The 
lean  proprietor  of  the  Hotel  de  L'Ecu  and  his  cadaver- 
ous wife  stood  in  the  doorway  of  their  house  on  the  prin- 
cipal street  of  Damartin  and  watched  the  cumbrous  stage- 
coach as  it  clattered  along. 

Travellers  were,  indeed,  rare,  and  they  had  been  getting 
alarmingly  less  daily  with  the  events  that  had  followed 
the  2oth  of  June.  The  carriage  that  had  just  passed 
out  of  sight  of  the  disappointed  couple  had  left  Paris 
early  in  the  evening.  It  was  the  last  vehicle  to  go 
through  the  barriers,  for  orders  had  been  given  later  in 
the  evening,  so  soon  as  it  was  decided  to  attack  the 
Tuileries,  that  no  one  should  be  permitted  to  leave  the 
city. 

Advised  by  his  friends  in  the  agitated  districts  of  the 
movement  that  was  on  foot,  Baron  de  Lowendaal  had 
postponed  his  marriage  with  the  Marquis  de  Laveline's 
daughter,  and  made  hasty  preparations  to  get  away. 
On  the  evening  of  the  gth  of  August,  the  baron,  accom- 
panied by  his  factotum,  Leonard,  carrying  all  the 
money  they  could  secure,  stepped  into  the  post-chaise, 
and  told  the  driver  they  would  go  as  far  as  the  first 
relay. 

At  Crepy  they  made  a  stop,  the  horses  were  unable 
to  travel  any  further. 

Morning  had  chased  away  the  night,  and  at  the  early 
hour  they  were  set  down  at  Crepy  bright  day  was 
breaking  over  the  great  plain  that  stretched  away  in  the 
distance,  the  last  stars  were  glimmering  in  the  darkened 
blue  of  the  heavens,  and  the  first  shafts  of  a  new  sun 
were  faintly  lined  over  the  horizon. 

The  Baron  de  Lowendaal  was  going  to  his  chateau, 
located  near  the  village  of  Jemmapes,  on  the  Belgian 
frontier.  Originally  from  France,  the  baron  dwelt  on 


Belgian  soil  in  easy  security,  the  revolution  would  not 
seek  him  there. 

He  had  fixed  upon  November  6th  as  the  date  of  his 
marriage,  because  immediately  thereafter  he  had  busi- 
ness of  vast  importance  to  transact  at  Verdun  in  con- 
nection with  some  extensive  tobacco  interests  there,  and 
he  desired  to  make  the  visit  as  one  of  the  pleasant  stops 
upon  his  wedding  journey.  He  had  left  Paris  now,  con- 
fident in  his  ability  to  escape  even  though  any  chance 
should  send  a  troop  after  him  in  pursuit.  He  had  good 
horses  and  their  speed  had  already  placed  many  miles 
between  himself  and  the  rioters  who  were  causing  the 
streets  of  Paris  to  run  with  blood. 

When  the  baron  and  Leonard  stepped  out  of  the  chaise 
at  the  post-house  in  Crepy,  the  proprietor  of  that  some- 
what pretentious  establishment  greeted  the  new-comer 
with  warmth,  offered  him  a  comfortable  room  and  the 
selection  of  numerous  savory  dishes  from  a  varied  and 
enticing  menu,  and  urged  his  acceptance  of  a  multitude 
of  unctuous  attractions  all  with  the  too  apparent  de- 
sign of  gathering  the  latest  news  from  the  capital  in 
return. 

When  the  seizure  of  the  King,  at  Varennes,  occurred, 
not  only  the  municipalities  but  the  individual  citizens 
had  been  inspired  with  an  ambition  to  emulate  in  some 
manner  the  glory  of  Citizen  Drouet,  who  had  enjoyed 
the  honor  of  arresting  Louis  XVI.,  and,  in  pursuance  of 
this  desire,  every  stranger  was,  in  their  eyes,  an  escaped 
royalist,  every  carriage  carried  a  suspicious  refugee. 

Happily  for  the  baron  the  local  patriotism  had  not 
yet  been  aroused  when  the  post-chaise,  on  which  he  was 
a  passenger,  made  its  entry  into  the  pretty  village  of 
Crepy-en-Valois,  and  so  he  was  speedily  and  safely 
domiciled  and  within  a  few  moments  thereafter  was 
seated  before  an  appetizing  bowl  of  rich  chocolate, 
while  Leonard  was  looking  after  things  in  the  stable, 
and  beneath  the  light  of  a  lantern  was  reading  a  letter 


that   had    been    handed    to    him    by    Mademoiselle   de 
Laveline  at  the  moment  when  he  was  leaving  Paris. 

Blanche  had  earnestly  requested  him,  her  prayer 
being  strengthened  by  the  gift  of  two  double  louis,  to 
deliver  this  most  important  communication  to  Baron 
de  Lowendaal  when  they  had  gone  a  few  miles  outside 
the  city.  Leonard  had  given  his  word  of  honor  that 
the  mission  should  be  faithfully  fulfilled,  but  now  the 
thought  occurred  to  him  that  before  doing  so,  it  would 
be  just  as  well  for  him  to  look  at  the  contents  of  this 
letter  and  satisfy  himself  whether  it  were  really  such  an 
important  document  as  the  young  lady  seemed  to  think. 

He  was  impressed  with  the 
consciousness  that  the  secrets 
of  the  master  are  the  fortune 
of  the  servants.  His  keen 
appreciation  of  the  possible 
value  of  the  missive  was 
largely  due  to  the  powers  of 
observation  with  which  he 
was  gifted,  and  which  had 
satisfied  him  that  the  mar- 
riage, evidently  so  full  of 
promise  to  the  baron,  was 
looked  upon  with  dread  and 
dismay  by  Mademoiselle 
Blanche.  Perhaps  in  the  let- 
ter thus  given  into  his  care  he 
might  find  some  grave  revela- 
tions that  would  redound  to  his  profit  later  on. 

Filled  with  this  belief,  Leonard  heated  the  blade  of 
his  knife  in  the  lamp  of  his  lantern  and  cautiously  re- 
moved the  seal  from  the  letter,  taking  great  care  he 
might  do  so  without  marring  its  crest  or  destroying  its 
outlines  that  he  might  restore  it  without  the  pilfering 
being  discovered.  With  much  patient  toil  his  task  was 
accomplished,  and,  as  he  read  the  secrets  Mademoiselle 


89     

Laveline  had  intended  for  the  eyes  of  the  baron  alone, 
he  was  overwhelmed  with  the  profoundest  surprise  nad 
with  the  most  supreme  delight. 

These  were  the  words  Blanche  had  entrusted  to  paper: 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  BARON, 

"  I  owe  you  a  painful  avowal,  one  that  for  some  time  I  have 
wished  to  make,  that  your  illusion  concerning  me  might  be  re- 
moved, and  thus  avoid  the  cruel  awakening  that  might  come  later 
and  at  a  less  convenient  period. 

"You  have  given  evidence  of  your  affection  tor  me,  and  you 
have  obtained  the  consent  of  my  father  to  a  marriage,  wherein 
you  think  you  will  find  happiness  and,  perhaps,  love. 

"  Happiness  for  you  is  impossible  in  such  a  marriage ;  love  I 
can  assure  you,  you  will  never  have  ;  my  love  belongs  to  another. 
Pardon  my  declining  to  give  that  other's  name,  but  he  possesses 
my  soul,  and  I  am  his  wife  in  the  sight  of  Heaven. 

"After  this,  there  remains  but  one  more  confession  I  can  make : 
I  am  a  mother,  Monsieur  le  Baron,  and  only  death  can  separate 
me  from  my  husband,  the  father  of  my  little  Henriot. 

"  I  shall  follow  with  M.  de  Laveline  to  Jemmapes,  since  that  is 
his  wish,  but  I  dare  to  hope  that  being  informed  of  this  insur- 
mountable obstacle  to  the  realization  of  your  plans,  you  will  have 
pity  for  me  and  spare  me  the  shame  of  being  forced  to  reveal  to 
my  father  the  true  cause  that  makes  this  union  impossible. 

"  I  place  myself,  monsieur,  at  your  discretion  as  a  man  of  honor. 
Burn  this  letter  and  believe  in  my  esteem  and  in  my  friendship. 

"  BLANCHE." 

"  Great  God  !  This  will  make  my  fortune,"  Leonard 
cried  aloud  in  an  exultant  voice,  and  then  he  looked 
again  at  the  letter  and  read  it  once  more,  and  turned  it 
over  and  over  in  his  hands  as  though  he  would  calculate 
in  this  manner  the  exact  amount  of  gold  he  would 
realize  from  its  possession. 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  is  very  plain,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "Monsieur  le  Baron  wants  mademoiselle,  and 
mademoiselle  does  not  want  M.  le  Baron.  But  I  never 
would  have  thought  that  Mademoiselle  Blanche  has  a 
baby,  still  less  would  I  have  supposed  she  would  have 


90     

told  of  the  escapade  to  M.  le  Baron.  These  women  are 
devils!  and  I  suppose  this  little  Blanche  is  just  as  bad 
as  they  make  'em.  But,  pshaw,  what  does  a  baby  more 
or  less  amount  to?  Nothing!  The  foolish  part  of  it  was  to 
put  it  on  paper, — but  happily  it  fell  to  me!  " 

He  ceased  his  muttering  prattle  and  once  more  looked 
the  letter  through. 

"  She  has  written  it  herself,  she  can't  deny  the  writ- 
ing! Oh,  she  is  too  confiding,  this  dear  child!  She  prob- 
ably regrets  it  by  this  time,  that  which  she  did  in  a 
moment  of  recklessness  and  nervous  excitement.  How 
lucky  that  she  confided  to  me  her  honor  and  her  fortune." 

He  made  a  movement  as  though  he  were  prompted  to 
some  action  which  his  better  judgment  checked  before 
he  could  put  it  into  practice,  then  he  put  the  letter 
carefully  in  his  pocket. 

"  Mademoiselle  Blanche  will  perhaps  pay  well  for 
this  some  time  in  the  future,  when  she  becomes  Madame 
la  Baronne  de  Lowendaal;  for  that  is  inevitable,  and 
she  may  want  it  back,  then  I  will  set  a  price  on  it  that 
may  represent  a  value  it  then  has.  Perhaps  at  that  time 
a  little  gold  will  not  be  so  much  of  an  object;  I  may 
ask  something  better — some  other  price.  I  am  not 
wholly  insensible  to  the  stylish  Mademoiselle  Blanche 
myself.  But  yet  for  the  present  there  is  nothing  for 
me  to  do  but  take  precious  good  care  of  this  proof,  this 
weapon  and  discreetly  encourage  the  plans  of  my 
master  who,  more  than  ever,  must  marry  Mademoiselle 
Blanche." 

Then  Leonard,  his  mind  filled  with  contemplation  of 
blackmail  and  bluster,  buttoned  his  coat  securely  over 
the  letter  with  a  satisfaction  that  was  ferocious  in  its 
intensity  and  with  a  lurking  desperation  in  his  face 
that  showed  he  would  guard  with  his  life  the  possession 
of  this  paper,  that  owed  its  existence  to  the  indiscretion 
of  an  imprudent  victim  who  attached  her  signature  to 
its  incriminating  words. 


Slightly  uneasy,  he  rejoined  the  baron,  who  had  fin- 
ished his  breakfast  and  was  walking  up  and  down 
before  the  hotel,  an  object  of  intense  interest  on  the 
part  of  a  curious  crowd  that  always  gathered  around 
the  door  when  the  post-chaise  was  ready  to  make  its 
start.  Leonard  gave  some  plausible  explanation  of  his 
absence,  averring  that  it  came  from  his  loyal  anxiety  to 
see  for  himself  that  all  things  about  the  carriage  were 
in  proper  condition  and  that  no  delay  might  be  expected 
in  their  getting  away. 

The  baron,  who  had  been  put  in  an  exceedingly  good 
humor  by  the  palatable  breakfast  he  had  just  consumed, 
was  satisfied  with  this  explanation,  and,  mounting  into  his 
seat  on  the  carriage,  they  immediately  drove  off,  rum- 
bling over  the  pavement  in  the  vicinity  and  soon  leaving 
the  little  town  far  behind. 


XL 


IN    THE    HOME    OF    THE    FRUIT-DEALER. 

IN  a  fruit  store  on  the  Rue  de  Montreuil,  in  Ver- 
sailles, Mother  Hoche  served  her  customers  and  at  the 
same  time  she  kept  a  motherly  watchfulness  over  a 
little  boy  who  was  playing  around  the  barrels  and  boxes 
that  were  filled  to  overflowing  with  the  appetizing 
stock. 

"  Henriot !  Henriot !  don't  put  those  things  in  your 
mouth,  they'll  make  you  sick,"  Mother  Hoche  cried  from 
time  to  time,  when  the  little  boy  tried  to  swallow  a 
carrot  or  take  a  bite  off  of  a  turnip.  And  the  good 
woman  continued  to  serve  her  patient  customers  all  the 
while. 

"  The  little  mischief-maker;  what  a  busy  youngster 
that  is  !  but  he  is  a  good  boy  all  the  same." 

It   was   with  an  expression   of  pride   that  every  few 


92 


moments  her  eyes  sought  the  child,  and  it  was  with  more 
than  usual  solicitude  that  she  guarded  him  against  acci- 
dent. In  the  midst  of  the  delicate  transaction  in  con- 
cluding the  sale  of  a  quantity  of  salad  to  a  most  par- 
ticular countrywoman,  she  was  aroused  from  the  rou- 


tine of  her  labors  and  surprised  in  an  exclamation  of 
delight,  by  the  appearance  at  the  door  of  a  full  uniformed 
captain  followed  by  a  lieutenant  whose  arm  was  tightly 
grasped  by  a  pretty  young  woman  tastefully  dressed 
in  an  organdi  robe  and  wearing  upon  her  head  a  bon- 


93 

net,  that  rose  high  in  the  air  and  was  embellished 
with  all  sorts  of  flowers.  The  captain  was  a  handsome 
fellow  with  a  jaunty  manner  and  a  martial  countenance. 
He  wore  the  uniform  of  the  Grenadiers  and  his  sword 
rattled  against  the  floor  as  he  came  over  to  the  counter 
with  his  hands  extended  in  friendly  greeting. 

"Why,  Mother  Hoche,  you  don't  know  me  !  "  he  said, 
at  the  same  time  laying  his  hand  affectionately  on  the 
old  woman's  shoulder.  "  Why,  my  good  old  mother, 
don't  you  see  I'm  a  captain  !  It  is  a  surprise  I  know.  I 
was  only  promoted  yesterday,  and  I  promised  myself 
the  first  thing  I  did  would  be  to  come  and  embrace  you, 
and  I've  invited  my  two  friends  to  come  with  me." 

The  captain  was  Lazare  Hoche,  the  adopted  son  of 
the  excellent  woman  who  kept  the  shop,  and  to  whom 
he  hastened  to  present  his  companions: 

"  This  is  Franfois  Lefebvre,  lieutenant,  one  of  my  com- 
rades in  the  French  Guards.  It  was  all  on  his  account 
that  I  went  into  the  army  anyhow,  you  know,"  said 
Hoche,  slapping  his  hand  down  on  the  epaulet  of  his 
friend. 

"  And  he  is  now  my  superior  !  "  Lefebvre  laughingly 
added. 

"Oh,  that's  nothing.  You'll  go  up  ahead  of  me  prob- 
ably; war  is  a  lottery  where  every  one  gets  a  prize.  But 
here  I  have  not  finished  my  introductions.  Mother,  this 
is  Catharine,  the  wife  of  my  friend  Lefebvre,"  continued 
Hoche,  as  the  fruit-dealer  and  the  ex-washerwoman  of 
the  Rue  Royal  Saint  Roch  exchanged  their  greetings. 
"  Now,"  said  Hoche,  "as  you  all  know  each  other,  we 
have  an  errand  to  do  that  will  take  us  a  few  moments." 

"What,  you're  not  going  already?"  said  the  good 
woman  in  a  disappointed  voice;  "  why,  you  haven't  been 
here  long  enough  to  pay  you  for  coming." 

"  Don't  be  disturbed,  we're  only  going  around  the 
corner,  we  have  some  business  there  with  several  officers 
who  are  waiting  for  us;  and  we  will  return  quickly; 


94 

we'll  be  gone  just  long  enough  for  you  to  get  us  up  one 
of  those  delightful  ragouts  that  you  can  make  better 
than  any  one  else." 

"You  mean  made  of  goose  giblets  and  turnips,  don't 
you  ? " 

"  That's  it,  they  are  simply  delicious,  those  giblets, 
and  then  Catharine  wants  to  talk  to  you  about  that 
youngster  over  there,"  and  Hoche  nodded  towards  the 
little  boy  who  was  rolling  around  on  his  back,  with  his 
great  eyes  staring  at  the  new-comers. 

"  About  my  little  Henriot  ?  "  said  Mother  Hoche  with 
surprise. 

"Yes,"  said  Catharine,  breaking  in  at  this  point. 
"Yes,  I  want  to  talk  about  little  Henriot;  in  fact,  it  is 
because  of  him  that  I  came  here,  otherwise  I  think  I 
should  have  allowed  Lefebvre  to  have  come  with  the 
captain  without  me." 

"Well,  you  go  on,  we'll  fix  up  a  lunch  for  you,"  said 
the  woman;  "and  we'll  have  the  turnips  and  some 
chicken  and  a  lard  omelette;  how  will  that  suit  you  ?" 

"  Great!  a  lard  omelette  !  "  Hoche  turned  to  Lefebvre, 
saying,  "  mother  can  make  the  greatest  lard  omelette 
you  ever  tasted;  so  come  on,  Francois,  and  leave  these 
two  for  awhile." 

The  two  friends,  locking  arms,  strolled  off  to  their 
mysterious  rendezvous,  and  the  two  women,  left  to 
themselves,  began  to  prepare  the  luncheon. 

While  she  was  preparing  the  vegetables  and  aiding  to 
truss  the  chicken,  Catharine  told  Mother  Hoche  why 
she  came  looking  for  the  child,  and  that  she  intended 
taking  the  boy  to  his  mother.  The  good  woman  was 
saddened  by  these  words,  for  she  was  strongly  attached 
to  Henriot;  he  reminded  her  of  her  own  little  Lazare. 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  take  him  ?"  Mother  Hoche 
inquired. 

"We  are  going  way  off  to  the  frontier;  Lefebvre  has 
been  made  captain  and  is  detailed  there." 


95 

"Oh,  the  same  as  Lazare  !  " 

"  Yes;  only  we  are  in  the  Thirteenth  Infantry,  and  he 
has  received  an  order  to  report  at  Verdun." 

"  Well,  now  your  husband  is  going  away  to  the  army, 
why  can't  little  Henriot  remain  here;  you  can  see  him 
just  as  often  as  you  wish." 

"  Well,  there  is  a  little  difficulty,"  said  Catharine,  in  a 
low  voice, "  and  I  have  got  to  go  with  Lefebvre." 

"  What,  to  his  regiment  ?     You,  my  pretty  child  ?" 

"  I  am  going  to  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  and  I  have 
here  in  my  pocket  a  commission  as  cantiniere.  You 
see,  my  commission  is  all  right  and  I  am  ordered  to 
join  my  corps  in  eight  days  without  delay.  That  is  the 
reason  I  must  go  to  Verdun;  there  we  shall  put  down 
the  royalists  who  are  conspiring  with  Brunswick."  The 
new  cantiniere  made  an  exultant  exclamation  at  this 
promise  to  do  away  with  her  enemies. 

Mother  Hoche  looked  at  the  fresh  young  maiden 
before  her  and  then,  with  blood  mou-nting  into  her  own 
cheeks  and  with  an  intensity  of  gaze  that  bespoke  the 
picture  she  saw  in  her  mind's  eye,  she  said: 

"  What!  You're  going  to  be  a  cantiniere?  Ah!  it  is  a 
great  opportunity,  how  I  should  love  to  be  in  your 
place,  to  march  to  the  sound  of  the  drum,  to  see  my 
great  country,  to  get  all  the  happiness  every  day  that 
you  will  get,  my  dear  girl;  the  soldier  is  at  his  best  at 
the  canteen;  there  he  forgets  all  his  miseries,  and  dreams 
that  he  will  become  a  general — or  a  corporal!  And  then 
on  the  mornings  of  the  combat  they  can't  speak  of  the 
uselessness  of  woman;  you  will  see  the  army  march  out 
to  battle,  rank  by  rank,  following  regiment  after  regi- 
ment, the  defenders  of  our  nation,  and  you  will  supply 
them  with  heroism  and  courage — at  two  sous  a  glass. 
The  brandy  that  the  cantiniere  carries  is  her  powder  and 
the  little  barrel  over  her  shoulder  has  more  than  once 
contributed  to  victory.  I  admire  you,  citoyenne,  and  I 
want  to  know  you  better.  How  I  wish  I  were  young 


—     96     

and  I  should  insist  upon  accompanying  my  dear  Lazare 
as  you  are  going  to  follow  Lefebvre.  But  what  about 
the  child?  You  can't  have  little  Henriot  in  the  midst  of 
the  camp,  and  exposed  to  dangers  of  war?" 

"As  cantiniere  of  the  Thirteenth,  I  have  the  right  to  a 
horse  and  wagon,  which  we  have  already  arranged  for," 
said  Catharine,  "  I  have  sold  my  wash  shop  and  Lefebvre 
has  received  Ja  little  sum,  an  inheritance  from  his  father, 
who  was  a  cabinetmaker  of  Ruffach.  You  know  Ruf- 
fach;  it  is  right  near  to  where  I  used  to  live  in  Alsace. 
Oh!  we  shall  want  for  nothing,  and  the  little  boy  would 
not  be  better  taken  care  of  if  he  were  the  son  of  the 
commander.  I  hope  you  don't  think  that  you  will  ever 
regret  that  the  boy  went  with  us  ?  "  Saying  which,  Catha- 
rine picked  up  the  child  from  the  floor  and  raised  him 
so  that  she  might  kiss  his  pretty  mouth. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  disturbance  at  the 
entrance  door,  which  called  their  attention  from  the 
petting  of  the  infant,  and  they  looked  up  to  see  Hoche 
coming  in,  leaning  heavily  on  the  arm  of  Lefebvre. 

He  began  to  speak  as  soon  as  he  stepped  foot 
in  the  shop,  and  as  the  women  threw  their  first 
glance  upon  him,  they  saw  that  his  head  was  bound 
around  with  a  handkerchief  stained  with  blood,  and 
the  terrible  evidences  of  a  wound  trickled  down  over 
his  cheek. 

"It  isn't  anything,  mother!"  he  cried  out;  "it  is 
nothing  at  all,  simply  a  little  cut  on  my  head,  where  I 
struck  it  against  the  table  while  I  was  skylarking." 

"  Oh,  my  God  !  he  is  wounded.  What  have  you  done 
to  him?  "cried  Mother  Hoche.  "You  have  had  some 
part  in  this  assassination,  Lieutenant  Lefebvre." 

Hoche  laughed  heartily  at  this,  and  said: 

"  Don't  accuse  Lefebvre,  my  dear  mother.  It  was  he 
who  stood  by  me  in  a  little  affair  I  have  just  had;  it  was 
simply  a  duel  with  a  colleague  of  mine.  I  tell  you, 
really,  it  doesn't  amount  to  anything  !  " 


97 


"  Oh,  I  knew  you  were  up  to  something  that  you 
shouldn't  be,"  said  Catharine. 

But  Hoche  made  no  reply;  he  was  entirely  occupied 
in  reassuring  his  good  mother,  who  in  turn  was  rushing 
around  with  water  and  cloths  to  wash  the  blood  from 
his  face  and  dress  the  ugly  wound  that  extended  from 
his  hair  down  to  the  top  of  his  nose. 

"  Hoche  has  always  been  a  brave  fellow,"  said  Lefebvre; 
"  but  when  this  rascal  Serre  insulted  him  he  was  really 
powerless  to  do  anything  at  all.  Serre  was  the  terror 
of  the  quarters,  and  he  killed  or  wounded  no  end  of 
people  in  duels  " 

"Well,  why  didn't  he  fight  him  right  away;  was  it 
because  he  was  a 
terror  that  he  hesi- 
tated?" Mother 
Hoche  responded, 
forgetting  all 
about  the  danger 
to  her  son  in  this 
imputation  upon 
his  courage. 

"  Why,"  replied 
Lefebvre,  "  it  was 
impossible  for  him 
to  do  so;  Lazare 
was  then  nothing  more  than  lieutenant,  and  Serre  was 
a  captain." 

"  Is  that  any  reason  why  he  shouldn't  fight  him  ?  " 

"  Certainly  it  is;  no  one  will  fight  with  an  adversary  . 
of  lower  rank." 

"  But  if  that  is  the  case,  how  did  he  receive  this  ter- 
rible cut  ? " 

"Well,  now  mother,  this  is  all  very  simple  and  I  will 
tell  you  all  about  it,<:  said  Hoche.  "  Of  course,  it  isn't 
right  that  these  duels  should  be  fought,  because  when 
a  soldier  risks  his  life  in  that  way,  it  is  just  the  same  as. 


98     

though  he  were  to  desert;  but  it  was  not  possible  for 
me  to  tolerate  the  insults  of  this  scoundrel  without 
resenting  them.  Why,  what  do  you  think  he  did  !  He 
insulted  the  wife  of  a  friend  of  mine,  while  that  friend 
was  away." 

Lefebvre  seized  the  hand  of  Hoche  and  pressed  it 
warmly,  while  a  look  of  the  tenderest  gratitude  filled 
his  eyes. 

"It  was  for  me,  it  was  for  us  that  he  fought !  "  Le- 
febvre said,  turning  to  Catharine.  "  This  Serre  said  in 
his  presence  that  you  had  had  a  lover  in  your  room  all 
day  on  the  loth  of  August " 

"The  monster  !"  Catharine  shouted  furiously,  "where 
is  he  ?  It  is  with  me  that  he  will  have  to  settle  that  affair. 
Tell  me  where  is  the  miserable  liar?" 

"  He  is  in  the  hospital,  with  a  big  sword  hole  in  his 
stomach.  Oh,  he  is  there  for  six  months  !  "  answered 
Lefebvre,  "and  if  he  ever  get's  cured  I'll  find  him  per- 
haps when  he  comes  out;  then  I'll  settle  my  little  account 
with  him." 

"  We  have  other  uses  for  our  swords,  friend  Lefebvre," 
Hoche  said  energetically.  "  The  country  is  in  danger  ! 
our  country  !  We  have  no  right  to  take  these  individual 
risks.  My  adversary  slandered  and  insulted  my  friend, 
and,  notwithstanding  my  repugnance  to  this  sort  of  thing, 
I  drew  my  sword  and  I  have  given  him  a  lesson  that  he 
will  remember.  But,  come  now,  come,  let  us  talk  of 
something  else,  and  if  the  ragout  is  ready,  let  us  get 
around  the  table." 

"  But  your  wound  !  "  said  Mother  Hoche,  still  visibly 
affected  by  the  suffering  she  felt  her  adopted  son  was 
subjected  to;  but  they  all  took  their  seats  at  the  table, 
where  the  appetizing  odor  of  the  soup  was  rising  in  the 
volumes  of  steam  that  came  from  the  inviting  dish. 

"Bah  !"  Hoche  exclaimed  gaily,  "what  do  I  want  of 
this  rag,  the  Austrians  and  the  Prussians  will  give  me 
something  much  worse  than  this,  a  blow  more  or  less  is 


99 

of  no  consequence,  and  this  is  already  healed,"  and  with 
a  flourish  he  threw  away  the  handkerchief  that  was 
bound  about  his  head,  and  laid  bare  the  ragged  scar 
that  was  ever  afterward  a  characteristic  on  the  martial 
countenance  of  the  future  General  of  the  Army  of 
Sambre-et-Meuse 


XII. 


THE    YOUNG    LADY    OF    SAINT-CYR. 

THE  simple  but  savory  repast  being  finished,  Mother 
Hoche  and  Catharine  prepared  little  Henriot  for  his 
departure,  gathering  together  his  modest  possessions, 
which  consisted  of  a  limited  wardrobe  and  a  quantity  of 
dilapidated  toys;  they  packed  them  away  in  a  trunk 
with  as  much  care  as  though  they  were  really  precious, 
and  then  they  incurred  the  risk  of  a  general  ruin  by 
yielding  to  the  kindly  heart  of  Mother  Hoche  and  utili- 
zing every  unoccupied  space  between  the  little  shirts 
and  skirts,  by  crowding  in  jars  of  sweetmeats,  pack- 
ages of  carefully  prepared  cakes,  or  bits  of  candy  and 
sugar. 

The  child,  meanwhile,  expressed  in  his  own  way  entire 
satisfaction  with  the  change  and  aided  in  the  prepara- 
tions by  throwing  into  the  trunk  handfuls  of  whatever 
chanced  to  meet  his  eye. 

He  seemed  to  love  the  change,  this  boy.  He  was 
delighted  with  the  golden  dragon  on  the  hilt  of  Hoche's 
sword,  and  he  played  with  it  enjoyably  until  his  foster- 
mother  and  her  visitor  began  to  prepare  him  for  going 
away;  then  he  dropped  the  glittering  toy  and  plunged 
into  the  happiness  of  the  journey;  he  heard  them  talk- 
ing about  soldiers  and  that  he  would  live  amongst  them; 
that  he  would  see  the  soldiers,  no  end  of  soldiers;  that 


he  could  watch  them  drill,  and  it  doubtless  occurred  to 
his  infantile  mind  that  he  would  have  endless  golden 
dragons  and  endless  sabres  to  amuse  himself  with.  He 
forgot  all  the  tenderness  and  all  the  care  of  good 
Mother  Hoche;  there  was  no  sadness  in  the  idea  that 
he  was  going  far  away,  very  far;  and  it  did  not  give  his 
young  heart  one  single  pang,  nor  one  disagreeable 
reminder.  Infancy  is  ungrateful  and  its  innocence 
creates  a  grand  egoism,  an  egoism  that  concentrates 
all  its  attention  and  its  thought  upon  self,  that  in- 
tensifies the  instinct  of  self-appreciation  and  a  selfish 
life. 

Hoche  and  Lefebvre  talked  to  the  women  as  they 
worked;  they  talked  of  the  revolution,  which  was  giving 
evidence  that  it  would  sweep  over  the  entire  land;  they 
talked  of  the  war  which  already  illumined  the  extreme 
points  of  the  frontier;  and  after  the  trunk  was  packed 
and  the  little  boy  was  dressed,  and  the  good-bys  were 
said,  they  all  went  out  of  the  store  and  sat  themselves 
down  around  a  little  table  on  the  sidewalk,  looking 
down  the  road  to  Montreuil.  Full  of  happiness  and 
life,  inspired  by  their  youth,  with  hope  in  their  soul,  and 
the  joy  that  the  thought  of  a  bright  future  alone  could 
inspire,  these  two  valiant  heroes  of  the  army  of  the 
republic,  refreshed  by  the  excellent  dinner  of  Mother 
Hoche,  gaily  joked,  smoked,  laughed,  and  exchanged 
greetings  with  the  passers-by. 

This  road  from  Montreuil,  which  is  to-day  called  the 
Avenue  de  Saint  Cloud,  was  the  broad  highway  that 
led  into  Paris  and  was  constantly  traversed  by  the 
dealers  of  the  city,  the  soldiers,  and  the  countrymen 
who  brought  their  products  into  the  market.  For  econ- 
omy's sake  many  of  the  travelers  took  the  little  boat 
at  the  Samaritaine  to  the  Pont  Neuf,  and  from  the 
Sevres  Bridge  they  then  walked  to  Versailles  and 
back. 

In  the  midst  of  this  humble  crowd  that  passed  before 


IOI 


them,  Lefebvre   caught  sight  of  a  slender  young  man 
whose  long  hair  hung  down  over  his  collar  and   who 
was  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  an  artillery  regiment.   He 
passed  seemingly  in  haste,  and  walking  beside  him  was 
a  young  girl,  dressed   in  black  delaine  and  carrying  in 
her  hand  a  little  box.     They  did  not  speak  as  they  went 
along,  but   each 
seemed  engross- 
ed   in    thought, 
with     eyes    cast 
upon    the     road        • 
and    an   expres- 
sion   on    their 
faces   that   left 
Lefebvre     in 
doubt  whether 
it    was  m  elan- 
cholyordispleas- 
ure  that  inspired 
them;  but  as  the 
lieutenant,  at- 
tracted by  some 
inexplicable  rea- 
son, followed 
them    with    his 
eyes,  he  felt  sure 
he  recognized  their  faces,  and,  turning  to  Hoche,  he  said: 

"If  I  am  not  mistaken  I  believe  that  is  Captain 
Bonaparte.' 

"  Who  is  Captain  Bonaparte  ? "  asks  Hoche. 

"  He  is  a  good  republican  and  excellent  artillery 
officer,  and  a  red-hot  Jacobin,"  responded  Lefebvre. 
"  He  is  a  Corsican  and  the  Ministry  has  just  retired  him 
from  the  service  because  of  his  opinions,  but  I  will 
call  my  wife,  she  knows  him  very  much  better  than 
I  do." 

He  called  for  Catharine  who  came  out  hastily  asking: 


"  What  is  it  you  want  ?  "  and  she  stood  before  him  with 
her  hands  upon  her  hips,  the  favorite  attitude  of  those 
young  ladies  who  enjoy  the  peculiar  dances  that  are 
popular  at  the  Parisian  balls,  and  a  habit  Catharine 
never  entirely  lost  even  when  she  became  a  duchess. 

"  Isn't  that  Captain  Bonaparte,  who  is  going  along 
the  road  with  the  young  girl,"  Lefebvre  inquired. 

"I  declare,  it  is.  I'd  know  him  among  ten  thousand 
— perhaps  because  he  owes  me  something,  but  why 
doesn't  he  look  this  way  and  see  me?  Now  what  in  the 
world  do  you  suppose  he  is  doing  at  Versailles  with  a 
girl  ?  Say,  Lefebvre,  I've  got  an  idea." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Why  that  we  invite  him  to  come  here  with  the 
young  lady  and  join  us.  It  is  very  warm  and  a  little 
drink  perhaps  " 

Lefebvre,  without  waiting  to  hear  the  end  of  the  sen- 
tence and  being  encouraged  by  a  nod  from  Hoche, 
jumped  up,  and  walking  hurriedly  down  the  road  he 
overtook  the  captain  and  his  companion  and  invited 
them  to  return. 

At  first  Napoleon  declined;  he  said  he  was  neither 
warm  nor  thirsty,  and  then  explained  that  they  really 
had  no  time  to  lose,  because  they  were  going  to  take 
the  boat  down  to  Paris  and  one  left  within  an  hour. 

"Bah!  There  is  another  one  in  five  hours,"  said 
Lefebvre,  and  then  turning  to  the  young  lady  he  con- 
tinued, "  I  am  quite  sure  mademoiselle  would  not  object 
to  some  refreshments  and  a  chance  to  rest." 

Thus  appealed  to  the  young  girl  with  a  sly  glance  at 
the  captain,  remarked  that  she  might  be  urged  to  take 
a  glass  of  water,  and,  as  this  was  quite  enough  to  express 
her  preference,  Napoleon  turned  about  and  the  three 
retraced  their  steps  to  the  fruit-store.  Hoche  brought 
out  another  table  and  some  chairs,  placing  them  within 
the  shade  of  a  beautiful  tree  that  spread  its  branches 
before  the  door.  Then  Mother  Hoche  brought  two 


103     

glasses  and  two  bottles  of  good  wine  and  another  bottle 
of  gooseberry  syrup,  and  Napoleon  presented  his  sister 
Marie  Anne,  better  known  under  the  name  of  Elisa, 
and  who,  later,  married  Felix  Bacciochi,  and  became 
successively  Princess  of  Piombino  and  Grand  Duchess 
of  Tuscany. 

Elisa  made  her  courtesy  to  the  company  and  entered 
heartily  into  their  enjoyment,  somewhat  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  Napoleon  who  was  always  exceedingly  jealous 
of  his  si  ters.  Elisa  was  a  beautiful  girl,  a  slender 
brunette  with  a  clear  complexion,  hair  that  was  exceed- 
ingly black  and  very  heavy,  full  lips  that  denoted  sen- 
suality, her  hips  were  a  trifle  prominent,  her  head  was 
a  perfect  oval,  and  her  face  was  full  of  intelligence  and 
denoted  a  strong  character;  her  whole  appearance  was 
noticeable,  and,  although  she  was  genial  and  lively,  her 
eyes  every  now  and  then  took  an  expression  of  disdain 
when  they  glanced  over  the  company  that  was  assembled 
before  the  little  shop  of  the  fruit-dealer. 

Elisa  was  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  she  had  been 
one  of  the  young  ladies  of  Saint-Cyr,  where  she  was 
receiving  her  education  under  the  direction  of  Madame 
de  Maintenon.  But  a  decree  of  August  i6th  had  re- 
duced the  educational  institute  of  Saint-Cyr  from  its 
position  as  a  royal  establishment,  whereupon  the  parents 
of  the  scholars  had  withdrawn  their  daughters  and  the 
place  was  promptly  emptied.  Bonaparte,  for  the  want 
of  money,  had  delayed  as  long  as  possible  removing  his 
sister  from  the  abandoned  convent,  but  he  could  put  it 
off  no  longer,  for  on  the  ist  of  September  the  building 
was  to  be  closed  absolutely.  Acting  under  the  advice 
of  her  brother,  Elisa  addressed  an  appeal  to  the  Gov- 
ernment at  Versailles  requesting  a  sum  sufficient  to 
enable  her  to  return  to  her  family  in  Corsica. 

In  consequence  of  this  application,  M.  Aubreun,  at 
that  time  the  Mayor  of  Versailles,  handed  in  a  state- 
ment to  the  officials  to  the  effect  that  Demoiselle  Mari- 


104    

enne  Bonaparte,  born  January  3,  1777,  had  entered  on 
June  22,  1784,  as  a  student  in  the  Maison  de  Saint  Louis, 
where  she  then  was,  and  she  now  asked  the  sum  of  352 
francs  to  enable  her  to  get  back  to  Ajaccio,  the  home  of 
her  family,  which  was  distant  352  leagues.  In  virtue  of 
this  authorization,  Bonaparte  had  come  this  morning  to 
get  his  sister,  and  she  was  then  returning  with  him  to 
Paris  where  she  would  start  on  her  journey  to  Corsica. 

Lefebvre  and  Hoche  cogratulated  the  captain  on  hav- 
ing successfully  arranged  this  little  family  affair  and 
having  secured  sufficient  to  enable  his  sister  to  join  her 
mother.  Bonaparte  explained  it  was  particularly 
satisfactory  to  him  just  at  that  time,  because  otherwise 
his  sister  would  have  to  remain  alone  in  Paris  as  he 
intended  to  join  the  army  again  at  once. 

"That  is  good,"  Hoche  said  with  interest;  "then  you 
are  going  back  to  your  regiment,  are  you?" 

"  Servan,  the  Minister  of  War,  has  put  me  back  in  the 
Fourth  Artillery  and  given  me  the  rank  of  captain," 
Napoleon  answered.  "  But  I  have  obtained  permission 
to  accompany  my  sister  to  Corsica,  and  there  I  am 
authorized  to  resume  the  command  of  my  regiment  of 
volunteers." 

"Why,  that  is  a  first-rate  opportunity,"  remarked 
Hoche,  "  and  may  be  you  will  have  a  chance  to  do 
some  fighting  there." 

"I  shall,  if  there  is  any  fighting." 

"  It  wouldn't  be  any  loss  if  each  one  of  us  had  an  op- 
portunity of  killing  half  a  dozen  enemies  !  "  Catharine 
exclaimed,  filled  with  enthusiasm  at  the  very  thought. 

"Ah,  if  circumstances  favor  me,  my  friends,"  Bona- 
parte said,  with  conviction  in  his  voice,  and  leaning  over 
the  table  and  earnestly  looking  into  the  face  of  his  com- 
panion, "  I  will  create  opportunities  where  you  can  work 
your  way  with  honor  to  rank,  titles,  glory,  dignities,  and 
riches  !  but,  excuse  us,  my  sister  and  myself,  or  we  shall 
be  late,  and  have  to  walk  all  the  way  to  Sevres." 


io5     

"  And  we,  before  we  take  the  road  to  deliver  Verdun 
from  the  Prussians,  we  must  go  back  to  Paris  also !  " 
said  Catharine  gaily,  at  the  same  time  taking  up  little 
Henriot  as  if  she  were  making  ready  to  depart.  The 
child  during  all  this  friendly  interchange  of  conversa- 
tion, had  looked  with  considerable  impatience  on  the  time 
that  was  wasted  in  drinking  and  gossip  without  there 
being  apparently  any  disposition  to  leave. 

"  We  will  meet  again,  perhaps,  Captain  Bonaparte," 
said  Hoche,  holding  out  his  hand  to  his  colleague. 

"  On  the  road  to  glory  !  "  added  Lefebvre. 

"  To  arrive  there,"  said  Napoleon,  "  we  must  com- 
mence by  taking  the  boat  to  Sevres.  Come  along, 
Mademoiselle  Saint  Louis  !  " 

As  they  walked  down  the  road  and  gradually  drew 
out  of  sight  from  the  little  shop,  Napoleon  said: 

"  How  do  you  like  that  captain  ?" 

"  Captain  Lefebvre  ? " 

"  No,  not  him,  he  is  married,  Lefebvre.  His  wife  is 
that  jolly  woman,  Catharine.  But  the  other — Lazare 
Hoche  ? " 

"  Oh,  he  isn't  so  bad." 

"  How  would  you  like  to  marry  him  ? " 

The  future  grand  duchess  reddened  up  a  little,  and 
made  a  motion  as  though  she  took  no  particular  interest 
in  it. 

"Well,  of  course,  if  you  don't  care  for  him,"  Napo- 
leon said,  laughingly,  as  though  he  had  interpreted  her 
movement  as  being  a  refusal,  "  why  there  is  no  damage 
done.  Hoche  is  a  good  soldier,  and  I  think  he  is  a  man 
with  a  future." 

"  I  did  not  say  that  M.  Hoche  displeased  me,"  Elisa 
murmured.  "  But,  brother,  I  am  too  young  to  talk 
about  marrying,  and  besides  " 

"  And  besides  what  ?  " 

"I  do  not  want  a  man  who  is  not  devoted  to  the  king, 
no  !  never  will  I  marry  a  republican  !  " 


io6 

"  So  you  are  a  royalist  ?  " 

"  Everybody  was  at  Saint-Cyr." 

"Well,  then,  that  justifies  the  closing  of  it  up,"  Napo- 
leon said  with  a  smile.  "Just  look  at  these  Demoiselles 
de  Saint  Louis,  what  a  set  of  aristocrats  !  It  may  be 
necessary  to  re-establish  the  nobility  in  order  to  find 
husbands  for  them  !  " 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  replied  Elisa,  proudly. 

Bonaparte  made  no  answer  to  the  ambitious  sugges- 
tion of  his  sister,  for  it  had  set  him  thinking,  and  had 
aroused  a  certain  uneasiness  when  he  realized  the  height 
of  his  sister's  ideas;  he  thought,  that  with  most  of  the 
scholars  in  Saint  Louis  it  was  easy  enough  to  secure  an 
exalted  husband,  but  with  his  sister,  having  no  money, 
a  brother  without  any  standing,  it  would,  indeed,  be  a 
hard  task  to  put  her  in  the  position  to  which  she  was  en- 
titled. Ever  haunted  by  the  spectre  of'  his  family,  he 
constantly  saw  before  him  the  vision  of  his  unhappy 
mother,  surrounded  by  many  children,  confronted  with 
appetites  that  were  always  keen  and  a  sideboard  that 
was  always  empty,  and  it  caused  him  to  regret  and 
shrink  under  the  responsibility  he  had  taken  upon  him- 
self when  he  was  declared  to  be  the  head  of  his  house. 

The  future  of  his  three  sisters  disturbed  him  above 
everything  else,  he  was  desirous  of  seeing  them  estab- 
lished in  their  own  homes,  and  he  frequently  considered 
how  he  could  secure  for  them  suitable  husbands.  Hoche, 
as  he  saw  him  that  day,  seemed  appropriate  for  the 
young  girl;  it  is  true  he  was  but  a  captain,  and  yet  Na- 
poleon felt  he  was  destined  to  something  higher,  and  so 
he  mumbled,  with  a  slight  tone  of  irritation: 

"There  are  some  who  don't  want  to  marry  captains, 
but  girls  without  a  sou,  what  have  they  got  to  risk?" 
Then  remaining  silent  for  an  instant,  as  though  going 
over  some  secret  calculation  in  his  mind,  he  continued: 

"  But  captains  are  ready  to  marry,  that  is,  if  they  find 
an  agreeable  woman  who  is  rich  and  influential  and  can 


to;     

give  them  a  position  and  rank  in  the  world,  but  then  it 
is  not  to  young  girls  that  they  are  looking  ! " 

Considering  marriage  as  a  means  of  rising  above  the 
distresses  that  ceaselessly  attended  him,  Napoleon  was 
not  averse  in  seeking  for  an  alliance  himself,  an  alliance 
that  would  serve  as  a  refuge  for  him  against  his  misery 
and  loneliness,  as  an  instrument  of  fortune,  as  a  stepping- 
stone  to  elevate  him  above  the  miserable  grade  of  cap- 
tain, but  yet  the  grade  that  he  just  now  had  had  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  recovering. 


XIII. 

THE    FIRST    DEFEAT    FOR    NAPOLEON. 

THE  next  day  after  having  received  the  amount  that 
had  been  appropriated  to  the  Demoiselle  de  Saint-Cyr 
•to  pay  her  return  fare  to  her  home,  Bonaparte  took 
Elisa  and  called  at  the  house  of  Madame  Permon.  He 
wished  to  present  his  sister  to  that  lady  before  she  went 
to  Corsica. 

But,  commendable  as  was  this  disposition  to  show  a 
polite  attention  to  the  friends  who  had  so  generously  en- 
tertained him,  there  was  still  another  reason  in  his  mind 
that  prompted  him  to  visit  the  widow  of  his  earlier 
acquaintance. 

Madame  Permon,  mother  of  the  future  Duchess 
d'Abrantes  was  still  a  noticeably  beautiful  woman,  pos- 
sessing the  classic  profile  of  the  Greek  which  she  was 
by  origin.  At  an  early  age  she  had  left  Greece  and 
gone  to  live  in  Corsica  where  she  had  first  known  of 
Napoleon's  family.  By  coquetry  she  succeeded  admirably 
in  concealing  her  age,  and  flippant,  frivolous,  indifferent, 
she  lived  in  an  epoch  when  luxury  was  difficult  and 
dangerous,  surrounded  by  the  pretty  bibelots  of  the  time 
of  Louis  XV.,  and  by  the  furnishings  and  decorations  of 


that  delicate  and  sensual  era,  and  appeared  in  their  midst 
and  to  the  eyes  of  her  friends  as  the  queen  of  all  that 
was  elegant  and  all  that  was  graceful. 

She  was  mistress  of  all  sorts  of  attractions  and  the 
appearance  of  this  grand  dame  had  inspired  the  young 
Napoleon  with  a  love  that  was  irresistible,  despite  the 
slight  evidences  of  growing  years  that  were  beginning 
to  appear  upon  her  face,  and  the  peculiarities  of  figure 
that  are  inseparable  from  maturity. 

The  Permons  had  enjoyed  a  snug  fortune  atone  time, 
and  Bonaparte  who,  with  Junot,  Marmont,  and  Bour- 
rienne  had  frequently  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  the  fam- 
ily at  dinner  in  the  exigency  of  his  poverty,  supposed 
that  the  widow  had  a  reasonable  estate  remaining  to  her. 

These  considerations  had  decided  him  to  make  a 
double  match  in  the  Permon  household,  and  it  was 
thus  that  when  he  saw  Elisa  engrossed  in  conversation 
with  Laura,  the  dear  daughter  of  Mrs.  Permon,  he 
escorted  the  widow  to  the  small  salon  off  the  draw- 
ing-room and  there,  without  any  preliminaries,  he 
informed  her  that  he  had  a  proposition  to  make  looking 
to  the  marriage  of  her  son. 

Madame  Permon,  rather  surprised  by  the  nature  of  this 
communication,  and  having  her  curiosity  aroused  by  the 
suggestion  of  the  youth,  asked,  with  an  amused  smile 
and  twinkle  in  her  eye: 

"  And  who  do  you  propose  that  my  son  shall  marry  ?  " 

"  My  sister  Elisa  !  " 

"  But  she  is  very  young,"  responded  Madame  Per- 
mon, "  and  I  know  that  my  son  has  not  now  any  desire 
to  be  married." 

Napoleon  compressed  his  lips  as  though  the  answer 
was  not  entirely  to  his  liking,  and  then  he  said: 

"  Perhaps  my  sister,  Paulette,  who  is  much  prettier 
than  Elisa,  might  suit  M.  Permon  better!  And  why 
not  at  the  same  time  marry  your  daughter  Laura  to  one 
of  my  brothers,  Louis  or  Jerome  ? " 


109     

"Jerome  is  younger  than  Laura,"  said  Madame  Per- 
mon  between  the  spasms  of  violent  laughter  these  offers 
had  aroused.  "  Why,  in  truth,  my  dear  Napoleon,  you 


would  make  a  grand  priest  to-day;  you  are  in  a  mood 
to  marry  the  entire  world — including  its  babies." 

Napoleon  laughed  to  conceal  his  true  feeling,  and 
said,  in  an  embarrassed  way,  that  the  marrying  of  his 
family  was  one  of  the  most  serious  matters  with  him; 
and  then,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  he  seized  her 


110       

hand,  and  kissing  it  twice  with  the  greatest  fervor,  said 
in  a  most  impassioned  way  that  his  wish  to  unite  the 
families  was  a  dear  and  precious  desire  on  his  part,  he 
wanted  to  begin  by  a  marriage  between  her  and  himself, 
which  he  now  prayed  she  would  consent  to. 

Stupefied  to  find  that  she  was  the  object  of  such  a 
violent  ambition  Madame  Permon  hardly  knew  what  to 
say  for  a  moment,  and  for  the  want  of  something  more 
promising  she  burst  into  a  fit  of  ungovernable  laughter, 
which  Napoleon  heard  with  the  coldest  and  most  dis- 
tant air;  so  austere  and  disagreeable  was  his  manner 
that  Madame  Permon  hurried  to  explain. 

"  My  dear  Napoleon,"  she  said  almost  maternally, 
"you  should  talk  seriously.  Do  you  know  my  age?  I 
have  never  spoken  to  you  on  this  point  because  it  is  a 
weakness  with  me  to  conceal  it;  but  I  need  now  only  to 
tell  you  that  lam  old  enough  to  be  your  mother,  and  I 
am  old  enough  to.  be  your  elder  brother  Joseph's 
mother;  I  am  almost  old  enough  to  be  your  grandmother; 
so  be  done  with  this  pleasantry  and  we  will " 

"  I  am  not  indulging  in  pleasantry,"  Bonaparte  con- 
tinued, in  a  piqued  tone;  "and  I  do  not  see  why  it 
should  arouse  your  laughter.  The  age  of  the  woman  I 
marry  is  to  me  a  matter  of  indifference,  and  speaking, 
without  any  wish  to  flatter,  I  assure  you  you  do  not 
appear  to  be  over  thirty." 

"  I  have  an  advantage  then." 

"  I  ignore  any  difference  in  age,  to  me  you  are  young 
and  beautiful,"  cried  Napoleon,  with  unbridled  ardor; 
"  and  you  are  the  woman  I  have  dreamed  of  as  a  com- 
panion." 

"  And  if  I  do  not  consent  to  this  folly,  what  shall  you 
do?" 

"  I  shall  seek  elsewhere  for  the  happiness  you  refuse 
me,"  replied  Bonaparte,  with  energy;  and  then,  after  an 
instant's  reflection,  he  went  on,  "  I  wish  to  marry,  and  I 
wish  a  woman  as  charming  as  you,  of  your  age,  or  about 


your  age,  of  good  name  and  of  honorable  birth.  I  wish 
to  marry,  I  repeat;  now,  will  you  consider  it  ?" 

Madame  Permon  had  not  much  disposition  to  reflect; 
her  heart  was  not  free,  for  she  loved,  secretly,  one  of  her 
cousins,  a  very  handsome  man  named  Stephanopolis. 
She  had  introduced  him  to  Napoleon,  and  she  had  urged 
him  to  join  the  Convention  Guards  that  were  just  then 
being  organized.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  cousin,  who 
became  a  brave  soldier  and  died  an  unhappy  death,  she 
would  probably  have  been  urged  into  an  acceptance  of 
Napoleon. 

To  what  small  incidents  do  we  owe  our  destinies  ! 
Married  to  Madame  Permon,  Napoleon  would  probably 
never  have  been  general-in-chief  of  the  army  in  Italy, 
and  would,  without  doubt,  have  served  obscurely  in  the 
artillery  and  have  passed  through  the  war  without 
glory. 

Napoleon,  in  this  exceedingly  embarrassing  conversa- 
tion, manifested  his  desire  to  realize  an  advantageous 
marriage,  to  espouse  a  rich  woman  who  possessed 
facilities  to  aid  him  in  an  active  life,  who  would  open 
to  him  the  ranks  of  a  higher  society  that  was  now 
proscribed. 

The  double  refusal  of  Madame  Permon  affected  the 
career  of  the  youthful  pensioner  of  Saint-Cyr,  the  Prin- 
cess of  Piombino,  and  the  future  General  Bonaparte,  the 
husband  of  Josephine. 

XIV. 

THE    SIEGE    OF    VERDUN. 

M.  DE  LOWENDAAL  had  accomplished  the  journey 
from  Crepi-en-Valois  to  Verdun.  He  had,  in  fact, 
reached  the  latter  place  and  was  at  that  moment  enter- 
ing the  city  hall  of  the  threatened  city. 

Two  great  interests  had  influenced  him  to  visit  the 


seat  of  war  and  had  served  to  bring  him  to  a  city  that 
at  any  moment  might  be  called  upon  to  suffer  the  priva- 
tions of  a  siege. 

He  had  failed  in  some  way  to  realize  the  fortune 
he  anticipated  from  the  tobacco  farm,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  be  in  Verdun  to  look  after  that 
interest.  - » 

And  the  other,  the  grave  trouble  that  called  him  to 
the  city,  was  his  projected  marriage  with  Mile.  Blanche. 

He  wished  before  uniting  himself  with  Blanche  de 
Laveline  to  dispose  of  a  claim  that  had  now  become 
insupportable,  but  had  existed  with  every  evidence 
of  affection  for  many  years. 

The  history  of  the  affair  was  in  no  way  different  to 
the  hundreds  of  other  affairs  that  enter  into  the  lives  of 
so  many  men.  He  had  met  while  at  Verdun,  a  young 
girl  of  an  honorable  family,  but  wholly  without  fortune, 
and  who  had  gone  to  that  city  for  the  purpose  of  adopt- 
ing a  religious  life. 

Mademoiselle  Hermione  de  Beaurepaire  had  not  yet 
taken  her  vows,  but  she  was  reconciled  to  wear  the  veil 
that  she  might  permit  her  brother  to  maintain  his  rank 
in  the  world. 

Called  to  Paris  by  the  cares  and  exactions  of  a  great 
fortune,  the  baron  had  very  soon  completely  forgotten 
poor  Hermione.  Blinded  by  his  love  for  Blanche  de 
Laveline,  he  thought  with  indifference  of  the  young 
woman  who  awaited  him  with  alternations,  of  anguish 
and  hope,  while  living  in  the  old-fashioned  and  gloomy 
home  of  an  aged  aunt  who  was  very  rich  and  slightly 
indisposed. 

And  so  this  matter  had  to  be  adjusted,  and,  as  the 
chaise  rolled  into  the  city  the  baron  was  still  undecided 
as  to  the  explanation  and  compensation  to  be  offered 
one  who  considered  herself  his  only  wife.  His  task  was 
made  additionally  difficult  because  he  had  failed  to 
terminate  the  manner  of  living,  and  had  not  signified  IR 


any  way  to  Hermione  they  could  no  longer  be  the  same 
to  each  other. 

So  soon  as  the  baron  stepped  from  the  carriage,  he 
was  assailed  by  rumors,  the  most  remarkable  and  con- 
tradictory, and  they  reached  his  hearing  with  almost 
every  step  on  the  road  he  took  to  the  office  of  the  pro- 
cureur-general  where  he  wished  to  lay  before  that  offi- 
cial the  details  of  the  claim  he  intended  to  present  and 
which  represented  certain  losses  he  had  sustained  in  his 
tobacco  business,  due  to  the  neglect  of  the  city. 

The  procureur  told  him  when  those  claims  were  placed 
upon  his  desk  that  the  finances  of  the  city  were  at  the 
lowest  ebb,  and  it  was  a  question  with  him  whether  any 
one  would  ever  receive  any  compensation. 

"  However,"  said  the  official  with  a  mysterious  air,  "  I 
think  Monsieur  le  Baron,  there  is  one  chance  for  you  to 
receive  reimbursement." 

"  Speak,  then,  what  is  it  ? "  Lowendaal  exclaimed 
quickly. 

"  If  we  have  no  money,  the  Emperor  of  Austria  has 
plenty,"  the  procureur  replied.  "  Peace  should  be  main- 
tained and  the  horrors  of  a  siege  should  be  avoided  by 
this  unhappy  city,  and  if  this  can  be  done,  your  reim- 
bursement will  be  sure." 

The  baron  hesitated  before  making  response.  Cos- 
mopolite, as  all  financiers  were,  it  was  of  little  moment 
to  him  whether  his  money  came  from  the  King  of 
France  or  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  he  certainly 
was  not  hampered  by  any  patriotic  scruples.  Taking 
all  these  considerations  together,  he  did  not  repulse  the 
procureur-syndic  with  indignation  when  he  proposed  to 
deliver  the  city  over  to  its  enemies. 

The  only  comment  the  baron  made  was  to  ask  the 
procureur-syndic  whether  he  were  confident  of  his  infor- 
mation, if  it  were  certain  that  the  troops  of  the  King  of 
Prussia  and  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  when  once  masters 
of  Verdun,  would  guard  the  city  properly  and  would 


make  an  offensive  move  against  the  volunteers  that 
were  reported  to  be  on  their  way  from  Paris. 

After  having  considered  the  proposition  in  all  its 
various  phases,  he  spoke  of  the  reinforcements  that  were 
even  then  en  route  from  Paris, 

"  They  will  arrive  too  late,"  said  the  procureur. 

"  Then  I  am  your  man!  "  the  baron  said. 

"  Have  you  come  here  from  Paris  direct,  and  without 
speaking  to  any  one  or  letting  any  one  know  you  are  in 
the  city?" 

"  I  have  rushed,  almost!  " 

"  Have  you  a  man  in  your  suite  who  is  discreet,  and 
at  the  same  time  is  a  gossip  ? " 

"  Discreet?  Do  you  mean  one  who  can  keep  a  secret?" 

"  And  gossip — that  is  to  say,  a  man  who  is  capable  of 
knowing  when  to  drop  a  few  inconsiderate  words  where 
they  will  do  the  most  good?" 

"  I  have  the  very  man,  Leonard,  my  valet  de  chambre. 
What  secrets  do  you  want  him  to  keep  ?" 

"  First,  our  plans!  " 

"  He  does  not  know  them!  " 

"  He  must  have  his  fidelity  guaranteed  first,  secrets 
that  are  not  known  are  the  best  guarded." 

"  And  of  what  must  he  gossip  ?  " 

"About  the  news  from  Paris — that  the  city  is  in  the 
hands  of  brigands,  that  the  existence  of  royal  authority 
depends  entirely  upon  the  speedy  approach  of  the 
armies  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria  and  the  troops  of  the 
King  of  Prussia." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  Well,  Leonard  despises  the  sans  culottes, 
so  he  will  acquit  himself  of  his  mission  with  a  hearty 
interest  in  it." 

"  Your  Leonard  might  also  say  that  he  knows  from  a 
perfectly  authentic  and  reliable  source,  that  there  are 
80,000  English  troops  about  to  disembark  at  Brest  and 
march  on  Paris." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  the  end  of  all  these  alarms?" 


"5 

"  The  justification  of  the  decision  we  shall  arrive  at 
to-night." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Here!  There  will  be  an  assembly  of  the  principal 
men  of  the  city,  and  they  will  decide  upon  the  terms  of 
the  response  to  be  made  to  the  Duke  of  Brunswick." 

"  I  have  your  promise,  have  I  not,  for  the  reimburse- 
ment of  my  losses  ?  " 

"  Between  honest  men,  Monsieur  Baron,  nothing  is 
necessary  but  their  word,"  said  the  procureur-syndic  as 
he  extended  his  hand  towards  the  baron. 

The  two  accomplices  parted.  The  one  went  to  in- 
struct Leonard  as  to  his  part  in  circulating  the  alarming 
rumors  among  the  people,  the  other  hurried  to  see  new 
adherents  to  the  black  treason  he  was  striving  to 
accomplish.  , 

XV. 

MADAME    SANS-GENE    ON    SECRET    SERVICE. 

ON  the  route  to  Verdun  the  volunteers  from  Mayenne- 
et-Loire,  accompanied  by  a  detachment  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment,  wherein  Franfois  Lefebvre  served  in  the  rank 
of  lieutenant,  but  performing  the  functions  of  captain, 
gaily  marched  and  sang.  Enthusiasm  filled  their  eyes, 
and  the  desire  for  conquest  animated  their  hearts. 

As  they  had  passed  through  the  villages  on  their  way, 
the  women  had  gathered  on  the  streets  to  cheer  them, 
had  held  forth  their  babes  to  salute  the  heroes  or  to 
receive  their  kisses.  To  the  marching  men  their  pro- 
gress meant  victory  or  death;  they  went  forward  confi- 
dent, vigorous,  superb,  to  the  sound  of  the  fife  and  to 
the  martial  roll  of  the  drum,  their  tricolor  fluttered  in 
the  wind  and  the  soul  of  the  entire  country  animated 
them.  Every  man  when  he  left  his  native  place  had  given 
to  his  parents  all  that  he  possessed  declaring  they  must 
look  upon  him  as  already  dead. 


n6     

And  these  heroes  pushed  forward,  the  song  upon  their 
lips,  ready  to  meet  that  death  for  their  country,  which, 
to  them,  was  a  fate  most  beautiful,  the  greatest  to  be 
desired.  All  along  the  road  they  had  been  followed  by 
the  echo  of  the  Carmagnole,  and  its  refrain  had  rung 
put  above  the  clash  of  their  arms  and  the  rumble  of  their 
train. 

As  they  approached  Verdun,  where  a  heavy  wood 
stretched  out  from  the  city  walls,  their  commander, 
Beaurepaire,  ordered  a  halt;  he  felt  that  it  was  prudent 
to  send  forward  a  reconnoitering  party  before  he  ap- 
proached the  place.  The  Prussians  could  not  be  far 
away  and  it  had  now  reached  the  point  where  precau- 
tions against  an  ambuscade  would  suggest  themselves 
to  a  cautious  leader. 

On  a  small  hill,  in  the  midst  of  a  thick  forest  and  well 
concealed  from  the  occupants  of  the  city  walls  the  little 
army  pitched  its  camp.  Beneath  them  stretched  a  ver- 
dant valley,  watered  by  a  pretty  stream  and  having  at 
its  foot  a  little  settlement  of  summer  houses.  A  shep- 
herd, who  had  followed  the  soldiers  since  their  last  camp 
at  Dombasle,  was  brought  before  the  commander  and 
questioned  as  to  his  knowledge  of  any  movement  likely 
to  be  made  by  the  enemy,  and  Beaurepaire  asked: 

"  Do  you  know  the  name-of  this  little  village  in  front 
of  us?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  is  Jouy-en-Argonne." 

Beaurepaire  was  peculiarly  affected  by  this  reply,  and 
he  stood  speechless  and  wrapped  in  thought  looking 
down  upon  the  modest  village  and  showing  by  the  sad- 
ness of  his  expression  that  some  unhappy  memory  was 
recalled  to  him  in  thus  coming  unexpectedly  upon  the 
approach  to  the  city  he  was  expected  to  relieve.  It 
seemed  impossible  to  turn  his  attention  from  the  pictur- 
esque group  of  dwellings,  and  he  searched  through  them 
as  though  seeking  some  hidden  treasure  he  felt  was 
there  concealed. 


—    II?   — 

No  trace  of  the  encampment,  no  suspicion  of  a  bivouac, 
nothing  that  would  indicate  to  those  dwellers  in  the 
valley  the  presence  of  a  force  of  soldiers  so  close  at  hand, 
was  apparent  to  them,  for  Beaurepaire  had  enjoined 
silence  and  moderation  upon  his  men  and  he  now  passed 
among  them  as  they  prepared  their  tents  and  began  to 
get  ready  for  their  meal. 

Some  cut  wood  to  make  the  fires,  while  others  clam- 
bered carefully  down  to  the  limpid  stream  and  returned 
with  water,  the  cooks  prepared  the  vegetables  and  the 
meat  and  soon  little  fires  were  started  here  and  there 
and  a  great  kettle  was  suspended  above  wherein  a  savory 
soup  was  boiling. 

At  some  distance  from  the  camp  proper  a  covered 
wagon  stood  and  near  it  a  gray  horse,  tethered  to  a  con- 
venient post,  nibbled  the  succulent  grass,  while  several 
busy  workers  bustled  around  evidently  preparing  from 
the  contents  of  the  wagon  some  popular  refreshment 
for  the  men,  which  was  partly  suggested  by  the  allur- 
ing sign  hanging  conspicuously  over  the  canvas  top, 
and  reading: 


I3TH    INFANTRY. 

MME.    CATHARINE    LEFEBVRE, 

CANTINIERE. 


At  a  little  distance  from  the  wagon  a  pretty  boy  rolled 
about  on  the  grass,  coming  over  occasionally  as  if  for 
protection  or  encouragement  to  the  cantiniere,  who 
patted  him  on  his  cheeks  as  though  to  reassure  him, 
while  at  the  same  time  she  made  no  interruption  in  her 
busy  efforts  to  put  her  canteen  into  proper  order  and 
open  it  to  trade.  With  the  aid  of  one  of  the  soldiers 
she  carried  a  long  plank  from  the  wagon  and  laid  it 
across  two  stumps,  forming  thus  the  table  where  she 
could  display  and  dispose  of  her  wares.  Then  she 


brought  forth  a  little  tub  filled  with  glasses  and  plates, 
and  arranged  them  in  neat  order  upon  her  rough  table. 

The  canteen  was  ready. 

Those  who  loved  drink  were  invited. 

The  dusty  roads  and  the  patriotic  songs  had  produced 
a  keen  thirst  in  the  members  of  the  regiment,  and  they 
welcomed  this  relief  with  much  good  humor.  Almost 
as  soon  as  the  glasses  were  placed  upon  the  board  they 
were  filled  and  emptied  to  the  success  of  the  battalion 
from  Mayenne-et-Loire,  to  the  deliverance  of  Verdun, 
to  the  triumph  of  liberty!  But  all  these  heroes  were 
not  financially  easy,  and  to  those  who  suffered  from  the 
inconvenience  of  the  moment,  Catharine  extended  the 
credit  of  the  establishment — she  to  be  reimbursed  after 
the  first  victory. 

Beaurepaire  approached  this  animated  picture  and 
regarded  it  with  a  troubled  look;  he  had  no  thought  for 
anything  aside  from  the  little  village  of  Jouy-en- 
Argonne,  and,  try  as  best  he  might,  his  eyes  were  con- 
stantly turned  in  the  direction  of  the  picturesque  valley. 
As  he  stood  there  watching  his  men  enjoy  themselves, 
he  said  to  himself: 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  go,  but  who  is  it  then  that 
I  can  send  ?  It  must  be  some  one  in  whom  I  can  place 
confidence,  a  woman  would  be  preferable.  But  where 
am  I  to  find  such  a  messenger  ? " 

And  he  continued  to  watch  that  constantly  moving 
throng  before  him,  but  his  eyes  only  saw  them  vaguely, 
for  his  thoughts  were  far  away  in  the  valley.  Presently 
two  young  men  joined  the  group,  young  men  who  car- 
ried on  their  sleeve  the  distinctive  mark  of  the  ambu- 
lance corps,  and  who,  talking  with  great  animation,  had 
their  arms  about  each  other  and  their  heads  closely  in- 
clined together. 

They  were  Marcel  and  Rene,  the  pretty  sergeant. 
Marcel  had  rejoined  Rene,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  that 
young  girl  who  had  secured  the  influence  of  Robes- 


pierre  upon  the  introduction  of  Napoleon,  and  had  been 
detached  from  the  Fourth  Artillery.  When  she  left  the 
battery  she  joined  the  little  corps  commanded  by  Beau- 
repaire,  where  Marcel  had  already  secured  his  detail. 
The  exigencies  of  the  service  and  the  differences  in  rank 
had  separated  these  two  young  people  by  placing  one 
at  the  head  and  the  other  at  the  end  of  the  column,  and 
thus  their  confidences  had  been  interrupted  and  their 
present  joy  was  that  of  an  unwilling  separation  that  had 
just  been  temporarily  ended. 

Beaurepaire  was  attracted  by  the  couple  ap- 
proaching him  and  was  taken  somewhat  by  surprise 
at  the  intimacy  that  seemed  to  exist  between  the  ser- 
geant and  the  major-aide,  and  he  was  about  to  sum- 
mon them  to  him  to  explain  the  meaning  of  it  when 
Lefebvre  passed  before  him  and  stopped  to  speak  to 
Marcel. 

"You  have  come  from  the  Fourth  Artillery,  haven't 
you  ?  "  Lefebvre  asked. 

"  Yes,  lieutenant,  I  was  in  the  right  line." 

"  Was  there  a  Captain  Bonaparte,  who  I  believe  has 
just  been  restored  to  his  rank  in  the  regimeut,  when  you 
left  it  ? " 

"Captain  Bonaparte  is  now  in  Corsica;  he  obtained  a 
short  leave  of  absence  to  go  there,  but  he  has  written  to 
his  friends  at  Valence  and  we  have  had  considerable 
news  about  him.  They  are  talking  a  good  deal  about 
him  in  the  regiment." 

Beaurepaire,  who  had  overheard  this  conversation, 
came  forward  and  said:  "  How  is  Bonaparte?  I  hope 
that  nothing  will  happen  to  interfere  with  his  advance- 
ment. I  am  a  friend  of  his." 

"  My  commander,"  said  Marcel,  "  Captain  Bonaparte 
is  now  at  Marseilles,  with  all  his  family.  But  he  has 
been  in  great  danger." 

"  The  devil  !  Tell  me  what  it  is  and  when  he  is  going 
to  get  away  from  there.  " 


I2O 


"Pardon,  commander,"  said  Lefebvre;  "don't  you 
think  it  will  help  the  story  that  the  major-aide  has 
to  tell,  if  we  take  a  little  refreshment  ?  That  is  my  wife 
who  is  serving  at  the  canteen." 

"Volunteers!"  said  the  commander,  stepping  over 
to  the  table  arid  raising  his  glass,  "  here  is  to  the  good 

health  of  Madame  Le- 
febvre, the  beautiful 
cantiniere  of  the  Thir- 
teenth !  " 

The    three    touched 
A      their  glasses, 
and    as    they 


drank,  Lefebvre,  looking  towards  his  wife,  said:  "The 
major-aide  is  going  to  tell  us  something,  he  has  news 
from  Corsica  about  your  friend,  Captain  Bonaparte." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  and  you  are  still  jealous  of  poor  Bona- 
parte !  "  Catharine  answered.  "  Is  it  something  pleasant 
you've  got  to  report,  Monsieur  le  Major?" 


"  It  is  how  he  escaped  by  a  miracle  from  being 
killed." 

"  Oh,  tell  me  quickly  what  it  is,  Monsieur  le  Major — 
of  course,  with  the  permission  of  the  commander  !  " 
Catharine  exclaimed,  with  every  evidence  of  deep  inter- 
est to  learn  all  she  could  about  her  former  client. 

Marcel  explained,  that  the  Corsicans  who  were 
opposed  to  the  revolution  had  made  some  advances 
towards  securing  the  aid  of  England,  and  Paoli,  the 
hero  of  the  first  years  of  independence,  had  negotiated 
with  the  English  authorities  and  had  also  tried  to  enlist 
Bonaparte  in  his  plans,  feeling  that  the  co-operation  of 
the  commander  of  the  National  Guard  of  Ajaccio  was 
indispensable.  But  Bonaparte  had  indignantly  refused 
to  participate  in  his  treason. 

Paoli,  irritated  by  this,  had  conspired  against  Napo- 
leon and  against  those  of  the  population  who  sided 
with  him  and  had  eventually  succeeded  in  forcing 
Napoleon  and  his  brothers,  Joseph  and  Lucien,  to 
escape  from  the  island  in  disguise.  Finding  the  ob- 
ject of  his  wrath  had  eluded  him,  Paoli,  in  his  fury, 
turned  against  Bonaparte's  mother,  and  the  house  where 
Letitia  Bonaparte  and  her  children  lived  was  assailed, 
pillaged  and  burned  to  the  ground,  while  the  courage- 
ous woman  saved  her  own  and  her  children's  lives  by 
fleeing  into  the  woods  during  the  night.  There  she 
might  have  met  with  a  sad  fate  had  not  some  devoted 
friends,  led  by  an  energetic  neighbor  named  Bastelica, 
protected  her  and  her  family,  and  surrounded  by  a 
number  of  men  armed  with  carbines  they  were  con- 
ducted to  a  place  of  safety.  Letitia  led  little  Pauline 
by  the  hand;  Pauline,  who  afterwards  became  the  wife 
of  General  Leclerc;  Elisa,  the  Demoiselle  of  Saint-Cyr, 
who  had  just  left  the  quiet  and  calm  of  an  educational 
institute,  to  fall  in  with  such  an  adventure  as  this,  went 
with  her  uncle,  the  Abbe  Fesch  and  had  already  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  out  of  reach  of  their  enemies;  the 


122       

young  Louis  ran  along  at  the  head  of  the  column,  some- 
times being  carried  by  the  men  and  sometimes  insisting 
upon  struggling  beneath  the  weight  of  one  of  the  guns; 
little  Jerome  was  carried "  in  the  arms  of  Savaria,  the 
devoted  servant. 

Thus  they  followed  their  road,  looking  carefully 
about  that  they  might  not  be  surprised  and  hoping  to 
gain  a  safe  refuge  before  the  Paolists  could  overtake 
them.  The  undergrowth,  the  thorns  they  encountered 
in  their  journey,  tore  their  clothes  and  scratched  their 
hands  and  faces  until  all  the  children  were  in  tears. 

After  a  sleepless  and  fatiguing  night,  the  refugees 
reached  a  rapid  torrent  where  it  was  impossible  for  them 
to  wade  across.  Happily  they  succeeded  in  borrowing 
a  horse  near  by,  and  the  women  and  children  were  car- 
ried over  on  his  back  and  with  repeated  trips.  At  the 
moment  they  had  reached  the  opposite  shore  a  troop  of 
Paolists,  who  had  been  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  Bonapartes, 
galloped  down  the  road  they  had  just  left. 

Concealing  themselves  in  the  brush,  Madame  Letitia, 
suppressing  in  some  way  the  cries  of  anguish  that  had 
been  bursting  forth  from  Pauline,  the  horse  seeming  to 
appreciate  the  danger,  remained  immovable,  the  pur- 
suers, although  listening  intently  for  some  time,  failed 
to  detect  the  presence  of  those  they  sought. 

Finally,  after  many  hardships,  they  rejoined  Napo- 
leon who  had  secured  a  small  vessel  belonging  to  the 
French  Navy,  and  in  it  they  crossed  the  gulf  and  landed 
on  the  shores  of  France. 

But  before  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  other 
side,  the  Paolists,  who  had  been  informed  by  a  coun- 
tryman of  the  escape  of  the  family,  set  after  the 
fleeing  people  and  when  they  got  sufficiently  near  began 
a  sharp  firing  of  muskets  which  frightened  Letitia  very 
greatly  and  would  doubtless  have  wounded  some  of  the 
children  had  they  not  been  quickly  placed  under  the 
shelter  of  the  decks. 


123 


Being  unwilling  to  occupy  the  attention  of  the  enemy 
in  this  manner  without  making  some  response,  Napo- 
leon brought  to  light  a  dismantled  cannon  that  had  been 
on  board  the  vessel  for 
many  years,  and  finding 
powder  in  the  storeroom, 
he  caused  the  cannon  to 
be  placed  in  position 
and  loading  il  to  the 
muzzle  with  all  sorts  of 
deadly  things  he  blazed 
away  at  the  pursuers, 
and  so  severely  wounded 
ten  of  them  that  they 
dropped  the  chase.  The 
family  and  its  chief  were 
saved. 

"  Bravo,  Bonaparte  !  " 
shouted  Catharine,  clap- 
ping her  hands  together 
when  the  major-aide  had 
ceased  speaking.  "  Those 
Corsican  cowards  !  If  I 
had  been  there  with  our 
men,  eh,  Lefebvre?" 

"  Bonaparte  was  suffi- 
cient," answered  Lefeb- 
vre; "he's  a  very  good 
artilleryman." 

"  And  a  good  French- 
man," added  Beaure- 
paire.  "  He  would  not 
let  an  enemy  of  his  coun- 
try live !  No  one  will 
ever  see  Bonaparte  die 
on  an  island,  prisoner  of  the  English.  His  destiny  is 
higher  than  that.  But  thanks  for  your  story,  and  when 


we  have  delivered  Verdun  from  its  besiegers,  I  shall 
write  to  Bonaparte  and  congratulate  him." 

The  commander  rose  to  leave;  he  considered  that  the 
rest  his  men  had  enjoyed  was  sufficient,  and  there  being 
no  suspicion  in  Verdun  of  his  approach  he  decided  to 
proceed  at  once  and  gave  the  order  to  prepare  to  break 
camp.  He  wished  to  be  moving  within  the  next  two 
hours  and  this  would  bring  him  to  Verdun  a  little  be- 
fore night.  The  men,  having  eaten  their  soup  and 
cleaned  their  arms,  fell  into  their  ranks  arid  the  column 
was  quickly  formed.  The  commander,  while  this  was 
going  on,  turned  his  steps  towards  the  wagon  which  was 
the  headquarters  of  Catharine,  and  there  making  a  sign 
to  her  that  he  wished  to  speak,  they  stepped  aside  in 
the  shadow  of  a  tree  and  talked  earnestly  for  some 
moments.  The  voice  of  the  commander  was  low,  so  that 
it  might  not  be  heard  by  any  but  his  companion,  and 
he  gave  her  his  instructions  which  she  received  with  the 
most  marked  evidences  of  surprise. 

When  he  had  finished  the  cantiniere  replied  simply: 

"I  understand,  commander,  and  when  shall  I  leave 
Jouy-en- Argonne,  and  when  I  have  reached  Verdun  what 
shall  I  do  ? " 

"  If  the  city  is  quiet,  wait  for  us  until  we  come  to  you, 
but  if  the  enemy  has  made  any  movement " 

"Very  well,  commander  !  I  will  put  on  my  ordinary 
dress  and  I  hope  you  will  be  satisfied  with  what  I  do." 

She  went  to  Lefebvre  and  told  him  she  was  going  to 
leave  the  regiment  on  a  mission,  which  the  commander 
had  entrusted  to  her.  Lefebvre  felt  some  uneasiness  at 
the  errand  and  asked  his  wife  to  tell  him  what  the  pur- 
pose of  her  going  was. 

"  Fran9ois,"  his  wife  made  answer,  "  I  shall  find  you 
again  at  Verdun.  It  is  the  order  of  the  commander. 
Take  good  care  of  Henriot.  That  Violette,  it  is  the 
name  of  the  young  man  whom  I  have  left  in  charge  of 
the  canteen,  must  take  care  when  he  goes  down  the  hill, 


125       

the  horse,  you  know,  is  not  very  sure-footed,  so  you  must 
see  he  holds  on  to  the  reins." 

"  They  are  going  now  !  But  Catharine,  do  be  prudent. 
Suppose  some  of  those  Prussian  soldiers  that  are  travel- 
ing around  the  country  should  take  you  prisoner." 

"  You're  a  goose  !  Don't  you  suppose  that  I  have  got 
under  ,my  skirts  two  good  pistols  to  protect  myself 
with  !  "  Catharine  replied  gaily. 

And  lifting  up  her  dress,  she  showed  to  her  husband 
the  handles  of  two  pistols  that  were  stuck  through  the 
belt  containing  her  money. 

The  volunteers,  on  a  sign  from  Beaurepaire,  took 
up  their  position  and  continued  on  their  route.  Catha- 
rine bravely  darted  into  the  woods,  and  clambering 
down  the  gorge,  she  entered  the  little  valley  at  the  foot 
of  which  was  the  pretty  village  of  Jouy-en-Argonne. 

She  had  just  reached  the  first  buildings  when  she  heard 
above  her  through  the  woods  and  over  the  fields  the 
stirring  strains  of  the  song  that  the  volunteers  had  kept 
up  on  their  long  march. 

XVI. 

THE    DESERTED    ONE. 

HERMIONE  DE  BEAUREPAIRE  was  ever  to  be  found  in 
the  great  oratory  of  the  pretentious  house  of  Blecourt, 
at  Verdun.  The  oratory  had  been  created  from  the 
grand  banquet  hall  of  the  chateau  under  the  inspiration 
of  Hermione's  aunt,  a  rather  narrow-minded  female 
known  throughout  the  district  for  her  conservative 
views.  Two  prie-Dieu  and  a  small  improvised  altar  on 
which  was  a  Virgin  Mary  holding  an  infant  Jesus  in  her 
arms  and  dressed  in  a  blue  robe  and  wearing  a  crown 
of  gilded  wood,  constituted  the  ornamentation  of  the 
salon  together  with  a  pair  of  candelabra  and  two  vases 
of  flowers.  The  pious  aunt,  Madame  de  Blecourt,  in- 


126 


stalled  Hermione  in  this  apartment  where  she  might 
continue  her  preparations  for  the  religious  life  for 
which  she  had  been  intended,  and  purposed  adopt- 
ing as  soon  as  her  mind  had  been  brought  to  a  proper 
appreciation  of  its  humility. 

When  Baron   Lowendaal  stepped   through    the  door 


of  the  oratory,  Mademoiselle  de  Beaurepaire,  suppressing 
her  surprise  though  tempted  to  cry  aloud,  stood  trem- 
bling with  indecision,  looking  intently  towards  her 
visitor,  hesitating,  timid,  awaiting  a  word,  a  gesture,  a 
move  of  his  lips,  a  call  from  his  heart. 


127     

The  baron  stood  silent,  evidently  embarrassed,  his 
mouth  tightly  closed  not  daring  to  speak. 

"Ah,  it  is  you,  monsieur,"  said  the  young  girl  in  a 
trembling  voice,  "  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  here  in 
this  place." 

"  How  is  the  child  ?     Well,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"Your  child  is  well,  she  is  almost  three  years  old  now, 
and  I  would  to  God  she  had  never  been  born,"  and  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  Now  don't  cry,  don't  make  me  feel  any  worse  than 
I  do,"  the  baron  said,  without  losing  his  air  of  calm 
indifference.  "You  see,  Hermione,  it  is  necessary  for  us 
to  talk  seriously,  and  your  tears  and  sobs  will  attract 
attention,  the  whole  house  is  already  alert  with  my  com- 
ing, so  you  will  kindly  tell  the  people  here  that  I  called 
on  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  you." 

Hermione  threw  back  her  head,  and  with  an  imperious 
gesture  she  replied: 

"  When  I  gave  myself  to  you,  monsieur,  it  was  my 
heart  alone  that  spoke,  but  to-day  my  reason  has  re- 
turned to  me  and  it  dictates  my  conduct,  the  hours  of 
folly  during  which  I  reclined  in  your  arms  are  past,  I 
am  no  longer  inspired  by  love,  the  flame  of  another  time 
is  extinct  in  me;  in  my  existence  now  I  find  that  senti- 
ment to  be  nothing  but  cinders.  But  I  have  a  child, 
your  daughter  Alice,  for  her  I  want  to  live,  for  her  I 
must  respect  appearances  and  the  opinion  of  the  world." 

"  You  are  right,  the  world  is  unreasonable,  my  dear 
Hermione,  towards  such  little  adventures  as  those  of 
ours.  But,  what  do  you  want  ?  As  you  say,  we  have 
been  foolish,  but  it  is  in  the  natural  order  of  things  ! 
We  cannot  rest  all  our  lives  under  the  shadow  of  a 
mistake." 

And  the  baron  made  a  gesture  suggestive  of  cynical 
disregard. 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron,  I  have  no  further  affection  for 
you,"  she  said. 


128 


"  Truly  !  a  most  unhappy  avowal  for  me  to  hear  "- 


"Cease  your  sarcasm;  I  know  full  well  that  you  do 
not  care  for  me  either.  Have  you  ever  cared  for  me  ? 
For  you  I  felt  the  distraction  of  the  moment,  my  heart 
was  touched,  my  sentiments  were  appealed  to,  I  found 
satisfaction  in  your  society  and  I  am  forced  to  retire  to 
the  solitude  of  such  hours  as  these  in  a  retreat  far  from 
all  that  is  pleasant.  You  came  here  solely  for  your  busi- 
ness; you  have  lived  the  life  of  a  gentleman,  of  a  soldier, 
with  all  their  pleasures  and  their  dissipations;  you  have 
mingled  with  a  brilliant  court,  lived  at  the  Trianon,  been 
a  friend  of  Prince  de  Rohan  and  of  the  Comte  de  Nar- 
bonne,  you  have  forgotten  me  here  in  this  spot,  lonely, 
sad,  pensive." 

"  Hermione,  you  are  simply  charming  !  you  were  al- 
ways beautiful  and  always  attractive,  but  at  this  moment 
you  are  doubly  so,  you  have  a  piquancy,  an  audacity 
that  is  simply  irresistible." 

"  I  have  lost  all  that  now." 

"  I  protest,  it  is  not  so,"  the  baron  exclaimed,  gal- 
lantly. 

''Don't  lie  to  me,  I  am  nothing  more  in  your  eyes. 
You  have  heard  me;  I  said  that  I  have  loved  you,  but 
to-day  I  am  indifferent  to  you." 

The  baron  muttered  beneath  his  breath,  "  It  hasn't 
been  so  difficult  as  I  expected.  The  break  is  accom- 
plished without  trouble,  without  many  tears,  without 
any  reproaches.  It  is  perfect."  Turning  to  Hermione, 
the  baron  tenderly  attempted  to  take  her  hand  in  his, 
and  said: 

"  You  will  stay  here  with  your  good  friends,  won't 
you  ?  " 

The  young  woman,  totally  ignoring  the  hand  that 
Lowendaal  extended  to  her,  looked  him  steadily  in 
the  eyes  while  an  involuntary  trembling  of  her  lips 
indicated  the  scorn  she  felt  towards  her  betrayer. 

"  Excuse  me,"  she  said,  in  her  severest  tone,  "  I  have 


129     

told  you  to  end  this  subject  of  affection;  I  propose 
entering  a  convent,  and  I  shall  find  there  the  content- 
ment that  a  cloister,  that  noble  and  dignified  asylum, 
offers  to  women  like  myself,  who  have  a  good  name  but 
no  fortune.  I  await  only  the  hour  when  I  can  take  my 
vows.  You  see,  I  have  no  regrets  for  this  world,  I  feel 
no  pain  at  leaving  it;  I  have  envied  those  among  my 
associates  who  have  been  enabled,  by  their  wealth,  to 
marry  honest  men  and  to  live  the  lives  that  bring 
joy  to  their  heart,  devoted  to  their  husbands  and  their 
children;  but  this  happiness  is  not  offered  to  me,  and  I 
am  resigned.  Pardon  me,  monsieur,  in  disturbing  you 
with  these  unpleasant  thoughts,  but  it  is  when  my  lone- 
liness seems  complete  and  when  I  see  the  extent  of  the 
sacrifice  in  my  youth,  in  my  desires,  in  my  dreams,  it  is 
then  that  you  appear  before  me.  Have  I  a  conscience  ? 
I  do  not  know;  I  am  not  indulging  in  any  recrimina- 
tions; I  am  seeking  no  excuse  for  my  fault,  but  now, 
at  this  moment,  between  us  two,  permit  me  to  ask  you 
one  question." 

"  Speak.  Ask  me  ten,  twenty  questions.  What  do 
you  fear,  of  what  are  you  in  doubt  ? " 

"  I  fear  nothing  !  "  said  Hermione,  with  a  trace  of 
sadness;  "and  I  have  unhappily  lost  the  right  to  doubt. 
Monsieur  le  Baron,  you  promised  to  make  me  your 
wife.  Have  you  come  here  to-day  to  fulfill  that 
promise  ? " 

"The  devil,  this  is  unpleasant  !"  thought  the  baron 
to  himself,  and  with  a  sigh  that  failed  to  conceal  a 
grimace,  he  murmured: 

"  Your  suggestion  charms  me — I  have  made  the  avowal 
to  you  and  I  am  a  little  embarrassed.  Most  certainly  I 
have  remembered  all  that  has  gone  in  the  past.  In  our 
moments  of  folly,  as  you  yourself  call  them,  I  engaged 
myself  to  you  and  I  pray  you  to  believe  that  my  senti- 
ments for  you  are  and  shall  always  be  respectful,  ardent, 
sincere  " 


130     

"  But  yet  you  refuse  ? " 

"  I  did  not  say  that !  " 

"  Then,  you  consent  ?  I  have  said  to  you  that  I  have 
no  more  doubt,  no  more  fear.  I  have  told  you  that  I 
hope  we  will  walk  side  by  side  from  this  place  and  from 
this  time.  I  want  your  reply,  I  await  it  !  " 

"  My  God,  my  dear  Hermione,  you  have  taken  me  by 
surprise.  I  did  not  come  to  Verdun  entirely  to  be  mar- 
ried; there  are  grave  affairs,  interests  of  the  very  highest 
importance  that  necessitate  my  presence  here,  and  the 
moment  would  be  badly  chosen  to  occupy  it  with 
matrimonial  joys." 

"  Don't  speak  of  joys  between  us.  Then,  I  under- 
stand, you  refuse  ?  " 

"  No,  I  only  ask  you  for  a  little  delay.  Wait  for  a 
time  in  peace,  it  will  not  be  long  "- 

"  You  believe  it,  you  believe  you  can  deliver  me  a 
prisoner  to  the  enemy,  for  you  hope  that  the  schemes  of 
the  traitors  will  prevail  and  that  Verdun  cannot  be 
defended  ?" 

"  I  believe  defense  is  impossible.  It  cannot  be  that 
our  workingmen,  our  little  countrymen,  our  laborers 
and  our  clerks  will  be  capable  of  resisting  the  armies 
of  the  Emperor  and  the  King  !  " 

"  Don't  insult  the  brave  men  who  are  fighting  like 
heroes  !  "  Hermione  exclaimed,  energetically. 

"  I  am  insulting  no  one,  I  only  want  you  to  consider 
that  this  city  is  not  a  garrison." 

"  It  will  be  very  soon  !  "  Hermione  muttered. 

"  What  is  that  you  say  ?  "  the  baron  shouted  with 
consternation. 

"  I  said — stop  !  listen  !  " 

And  Hermione  made  a  sign  to  the  baron  to  put  his 
ear  against  the  closed  window  that  he  might  hear  the 
confused  sound,  the  cries,  the  shouts,  the  noise  of 
tramping  feet,  the  roll  of  the  drums,  the  applause  of 
the  people. 


The  baron's  face  became  ghastly. 

"  What  does  this  uproar  mean  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Probably 
some  riot,  the  people  have  thrown  open  the  gates  and 
have  come  to  their  senses  not  to  withstand  a  siege." 

"  No,  monsieur,  this  uproar  has  another  meaning  ! 
Once  more  you  have  the  opportunity,  will  you  carry  out 
your  promise  and  give  to  our  child,  to  your  little  Alice, 
the  name,  the  rank,  the  fortune  that  belongs  to  her?  " 

"  I  have  told  you,  madam,  that  for  the  moment  it  is 
impossible.  I  can  come  to  no  other  decision.  Wait  ! 
I  have  some  very  serious  matters  to  conclude  here,  have 
a  little  patience;  give  me  time.  When  the  rioters  are 
conquered  and  when  His  Majesty  is  restored  to  the 
Tuileries,  when  the  revolution  is  put  down,  then  I  will 
come  to  you,  then  I  will  decide." 

"Take  care,  monsieur!  lam  a  woman,  but  I  have 
taken  my  oath  for  vengance!  " 

"  What,  menaces?  I  will  go  then,"  said  the  baron  with 
a  sarcastic  smile,  "I  don't  like  this  sort  of  thing,  yet  it 
is  less  dangerous  than  your  tears  !  " 

"  Once  more,  monsieur,  I  warn  you  to  be  careful,  you 
believe  me  to  be  feeble,  defenseless,  without  means  of 
resentment.  You  will  find  it  is  otherwise!  " 

"And  I  tell  you  again,  madame,  that  I  refuse  to  be 
intimidated." 

"  Do  you  hear  that  noise,  that  tumult?  Do  you  know 
it  is  the  sound  of  drums  that  is  approaching?" 

"  It  is  singular!  Is  it  possible  the  Prussians  are  already 
in  the  city?"  said  the  baron,  adding  under  his  breath, 
"  they  have  come  in  good  time,  these  good  friends,  our 
enemies;  they  will  cut  short  this  scene  and  give  me  a  good 
excuse  to  get  away  from  this  threatening  female." 

"  They  are  not  the  Prussians,"  Hermione  exclaimed 
with  triumph,  "they  are  the  patriots  who  have  come  to 
the  relief  of  Verdun." 

"The  reinforcements  that  were  expected!  It  is  im- 
possible! Lafayette  is  engaged  with  the  Austrians; 


I32        

Dumouriez  is  at  the  camp  of  Maulde;  Dillon  has  been 
purchased  by  the  Allies.  It  is  impossible  that  these 
should  be  reinforcements  !  " 

"  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  see  !  "  saying  which  Her- 
mione  threw  open  the  door  of  her  oratory  at  the 
moment  a  woman  was  coming  into  the  building,  lead- 
ing two  little  children  by  the  hand. 

"  Enter,  madame,  let  me  make  you  acquainted  with 
Monsieur  Baron  de  Lowendaal,  who  wishes  to  know 
what  this  noise  of  drums  in  the  city  means,"  said  Her- 
mione. 

XVII. 

THE  ARRIVAL  OF  THE  VOLUNTEERS. 

THE  woman  was  young  and  her  face  was  pleasing. 
She  made  a  military  salute  and  she  looked  with  stolid 
indifference  at  the  baron. 

"  I  am  Catharine  Lefebvre,  cantiniere  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Regiment,  at  your  service!  You  wish  to  know  the 
meaning  of  this  noise  ?  Very  well,  it  is  the  battalion 
from  Mayenne-et-Loire  that  is  just  now  entering  the 
city,  accompanied  by  a  detachment  of  the  Thirteenth, 
commanded  by  my  husband,  Fran9ois  Lefebvre.  Well, 
mademoiselle,  this  is  a  great  surprise  for  them  all, 
isn't  it  ?" 

The  baron  growled  out  in  a  surly  and  disappointed 
way: 

"The  battalion  from  Mayenne-et-Loire!  What  is  it 
doing  here  ?  " 

"  Why  did  we  come  here  ? "  said  Catharine,  "  why,  we 
came  to  fight  the  Prussians,  to  reassure  the  patriots,  to 
slap  the  aristocrats." 

"Well  said,  madame!"  replied  Hermione,  "  but  tell 
me  what  is  the  name  of  the  commander  of  these  volun- 
teers of  Mayenne-et-Loire,  Monsieur  le  Baron  would  be 
pleased  to  hear  it." 


"  We  are  under  the  command  of  the  brave  Beaure- 
paire." 

"  Beaurepaire!  "  the  baron  echoed  with  terror. 

"  Yes;  my  brother,  who  one  hour  before  he  entered 
the  city  sent  this  brave  woman  to  me,  to  tell  me  of  his 
approach  and  to  reassure  me,"  Hermione  replied,  while 
her  pale  face  became  radiant  with  joy 

"  They  say  they  will  put  you  out,  my  little  father  !" 
said  Catharine,  slapping  the  discomforted  baron  famil- 
iarly on  his  shoulder.  "  You  are  not  a  patriot,  I  see, 
but  you  will  be  given  a  pension;  the  aristocrats  who 
like  to  talk  of  capitulation,  I  don't  suppose  will  be  very 
glad  to  see  us." 

"How  many  volunteers  are  there?"  demanded  the 
baron. 

"  Four  hundred,  and,  besides,  there  is  the  company  of 
my  husband,  that  makes  in  all  five  hundred  who  have 
come  to  the  relief  of  the  city." 

The  face  of  the  baron  recovered  its  calm  expression. 
"  Five  hundred!  that  isn't  as  bad  as  I  feared.  Five  hun- 
dred cannot  hold  the  city,  especially  if  the  population 
is  working  and  crying  for  surrender.  The  worst  of  it  is 
that  this  fellow  Beaurepaire  should  be  here,  how  can  I 
avoid  him." 

Hermione  meanwhile  and  as  the  baron,  undecided 
what  to  do,  looked  about  him  seeking  relief  from 
those  who  were  making  his  position  more  severe,  had 
stepped  aside  to  look  for  the  two  children  whose  voices 
guided  her  to  the  next  room.  Returning  with  a  sweet 
little  blonde  girl  in  her  arms,  she  set  the  child  down  at 
the  feet  of  the  baron,  saying: 

"  Here  is  your  child,  monsieur,  will  you  not  embrace 
her?" 

Lowendaal,  concealing  his  annoyance  all  that  was 
possible,  leaned  over  an:l  hurriedly  kissed  the  little  girl 
upon  her  forehead  The  child,  with  that  instinct  which 
often  seems  to  protect  them,  began  to  cry.  \Yith 


134 

the  first  sob  of  the  unhappy  child>  a  responsive  note 
was  heard  from  the  adjoining  room,  and  a  little  boy 
wearing  a  liberty  cap  into  which  was  fastened  the 
cocarde,  came  running  forth,  and  taking  the  hand  of  the 
weeping  youngster  in  his  own,  he  said  to  her: 

"Don't  cry!  come  with  me  and  see  all  the  nice  things 
I  have  and  then  we  can  fire  off  the  cannon,  too.  Boom! 
Boom!  Its  awfully  funny  to  fire  off  the  cannon!  " 

Catharine  playfully  tweaked  the  boy's  ear  and  said 
with  a  feeling  of  pride: 

"  This  is  my  little  Henriot,  a  future  sergeant,  and  I 
am  educating  him  until  my  husband  can  get  him  into 
the  army  to  defend  our  republic!  He  will  make  a  great 
soldier,  my  little  Henriot." 

Hermione  pressed  the  hand  of  the  cantiniere  softly  as 
she  turned  to  the  baron: 

"  This  excellent  woman  went  with  the  battalion  to  the 
village  of  Jouy-en-Argonne;  the  commander,  de  Beau- 
repaire,  sent  her  to  the  house  in  the  village  where  she 
found  the  infant,  as  the  commander  had  explained 
she  would.  Then  she  brought  the  child  to  me  before  the 
volunteers  appeared,  and  left  her  here  that  her  unhappy 
and  abandoned  mother  might  have  the  protection  the 
presence  of  helpless  innocence  always  affords.  That  is 
how  your  little  girl  came  here,  monsieur!  " 

"Then,"  whined  Lowendaal,  "the  commander,  Beau- 
repaire,  knows  " 

"He  knows  all,"  Hermione  interrupted,  "you  can 
readily  believe  it  was  a  sad  confession  for  me  to  make  " 

"And  your  brother  is  amiable  about  it?"  with  which 
words  the  baron  tried  to  appear  indifferent  and  calm. 

"  My  brother  has  pardoned  me;  he  has  hastened  here 
to  my  help,  to  deliver  me.  The  volunteers  from  Mayenne 
are  led  by  him,  and  they  will  march  victoriously  through 
the  ranks  of  our  enemies  !  " 

"  Ah,  what  stops  we  made,  my  children,"  and  Catha- 
rine's eyes  glistened  at  the  remembrance.  "  We  were  all 


J35 

nervous  for  fear  we  would  be  too  late  to  save  this 
beautiful  city  of  Verdun — but  Commander  Beaurepaire 
has  wings  to  his  talons  !  " 

Again  the  sound  of  drums  came  through  the  open 
door,  and  it  grew  in  volume  with  every  moment  and  it 
came  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  house  where  Catharine 
had  preceded  it.  Then  there  were  sounds  of  joy  as  though 
the  entire  city  were  en  fete,  and  already  the  triumphal 
procession  had  crossed  the  Meuse  and  was  approaching 
with  the  steady  swing  of  trained  troops. 

"  I  think  I  must  go,"  said  the  baron,  "  I  can  see  them 
from  my  hotel." 

"  And  I  want  to  see  my  husband,"  continued  Catha- 
rine. "  Here,  you  young  conscript,  go  !  march  !  "  and 
with  the  words  she  pushed  Henriot  into  the  street,  but 
the  boy  resisted,  and  having  the  little  girl's  dress  tightly 
grasped  in  his  hand  he  positively  refused  to  go  forth 
without  her. 

"  See  there,  the  little  flirt  is  already  attached  to  half 
a  dozen  girls.  Ah  !  he  is  promising,  the  young  rascal." 

"  Madame,"  Hermione  exclaimed  with  emotion. 
"Never  can  I  forget  that  which  you  have  done  for  me; 
say  to  my  brother  that  I  have  blessed  you  and  will  await 
him  here." 

Raising  little  Henriot  in  her  arms,  Catharine  started 
away  to  join  her  companions  and  the  Thirteenth.  Her- 
mione made  a  formal  salute  to  the  baron  and  withdrew 
to  her  own  room  with  the  little  girl,  whom  she  covered 
with  caresses. 

Lowendaal  was  pensive  as  he  walked  back  to  the  dis- 
tant hotel. 

"  If  the  capitulation  can  be  brought  around,  then  I 
will  not  have  to  meet  Beaurepaire.  But,  if  not,  he  will 
certainly  compel  me  to  marry  his  sister." 

And  but  little  satisfied  with  the  way  events  were  hap- 
pening, the  baron  entered  the  City  Hall,  where  the  not- 
ables of  the  city  were  already  assembled  under  the  di- 


i36     

rection  of  the  president  of  the  Directory,  Ternaux,  and 
of  the  procureur-syndic,  Gossin,  both  traitors,  whose 
names  are  pilloried  in  history. 

XVIII. 

THE    ENVOY    FROM    BRUNSWICK. 

IN  the  grand  salon  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville  of  Verdun, 
under  the  light  of  the  flaming  flambeaux,  the  members 
for  the  district  and  the  other  notables  were  assembled, 
the  commander  of  the  engineers,  Bellemond,  governor 
of  the  place,  being  conspicuous  in  the  company.  Presi- 
dentTernaux  opened  the  proceedings  and  the  procureur- 
syndic,  Gossin,  explained  the  situation. 

The  Duke  of  Brunswick  was  encamped  at  the  very 
gates  of.  the  city.  Should  they  throw  them  open  and 
receive  the  Imperial  General  as  a  friend  and  a  liberator, 
and  should  they  lower  their  bridges  and  throw  back 
kisses  for  cannon  balls  ? 

The  disgrace  had  been  already  incurred  in  putting 
the  question. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  procureur  in  a  dolorous  voice, 
"  our  hearts  bleed  at  the  unhappiness  that  will  fall  over 
Verdun  if  it  is  besieged.  Gentlemen,  resistance  is  folly 
against  an  enemy  ten  times  our  number.  Is  it  your  will 
now  to  receive  an  envoy  on  a  conciliatory  mission  from 
the  duke  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  will  receive  him,"  shouted  several. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  the  president  resumed,  "  I  will 
introduce  the  envoy  at  once." 

There  was  a  movement  as  of  curiosity  and  expecta- 
tion, all  eyes  were  turned  towards  the  door  of  the  presi- 
dent's apartment,  and  those  who  spoke  did  so  in  whis- 
pers, seeming  to  feel  as  though  the  shame  of  such  a  deed 
should  only  be  murmured  and  not  uttered  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  through  the  halls  of  the  building.  Presently 


137 

the  door  opened,  giving  entrance  to  a  young  man, 
clothed  in  a  civil  costume,  his  face  as  pale  a  sthough 
from  a  recent  illness  and  his  arm  carried  in  a  sling. 

"  M.  le  Comte  de  Neipperg,  aide-de-camp  to  General 
Clerfayt,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Austrian  Army," 
the  president  announced  in  his  introduction. 

It  was  none  other  than  the  young  Austrian  who  had 
been  saved  by  Catharine  Sans-Gene  on  the  morning  of 
the  loth  of  August.  His  wound  had  healed  beneath  the 
womanly  care  of  the  gentle  Catharine,  and  then  he  had 
been  enabled  to  escape  from  Paris  and  reach  the  quarters 
of  the  Austrian  commander. 

Suffering  still  from  the  musket  shots  that  had  struck 
him,  he  volunteered  to  perform  this  duty  on  the  night 
of  the  conference.  The  thought  of  Blanche  de  Lave- 
line  was  a  deeper  and  more  painful  wound  than  that  of 
the  bullet,  and  in  seeing  his  child,  his  little  Henriot, 
exposed  to  all  the  perils  of  an  unacknowledged  birth, 
to  the  mercies  of  Lowendaal  and  to  the  possibility  of 
losing  Blanche  through  a  marriage  that  would  separate 
them  for  ever,  made  him  sad  indeed.  The  torture  was 
cruel  and  killing,  and,  in  his  wish  to  forget  the  past,  he 
hailed  with  joy  an  opportunity  to  enter  the  army  and 
find  in  war  the  forgetfulness  that  would  give  him 
relief.  General  Clerfayt,  who  appreciated  the  brave 
and  diplomatic  qualities  of  Neipperg,  had  attached  him 
to  his  staff,  and  as  he  was  a  perfect  master  of  the  French 
language  the  general  had  selected  him  for  this  impor- 
tant mission  of  carrying  to  the  notables  and  authorities 
of  Verdun  the  proposition  for  capitulation. 

After  saluting  the  assembly  with  the  grace  and  ele- 
gance that  distinguished  him,  the  comte  made  known 
the  terms  upon  which  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  was  dis- 
posed to  treat;  they  consisted  of  a  demand  that  the 
citadel  and  the  city  should  be  evacuated  and  surrendered 
within  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  penalty  of  refusal  to 
accept  this  stipulation  was  the  bombardment  of  Verdun 


i38     

and  the  sacrifice  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  fury  of  the 
victorious  invaders. 

In  the  presence  of  the  profound  stupor  the  utterance 
of  these  threats  produced,  the  savagery  of  the  condi- 
tions was  for  a  moment  disregarded.  It  would  seem 
that  such  a  menace,  haughty  and  insulting  as  it  was, 
would  have  aroused  feelings  of  resentment  and  revolt  in 
the  treacherous  hearts  of  the  rich  bourgeois  and  royal- 
ists who  crowded  the  meeting,  and  who  had  connived 
at  the  traitorous  proposition  to  betray  the  city.  But 
not  a  voice  was  raised,  none  dared  to  make  one  weak 
objection  that  would  call  down  the  resentment  of  the 
Germans  upon  the  defenseless  Verdun. 

Neipperg  stood  unmoved,  silent,  upon  the  platform, 
his  eyes  cast  to  the  ground,  his  ears  alert  to  the  first 
word  that  would  terminate  his  mission.  Within  him- 
self he  felt  nothing  but  contempt  for  these  cowardly 
citizens,  who  preferred  the  disgrace  and  surrender  of 
their  country  to  accepting  the  risk  of  resistance,  and  in- 
curring the  danger  of  having  their  buildings  destroyed. 
As  he  stood  there,  his  mind  went  back  to  those  grand 
Frenchmen  of  the  loth  of  August  against  whom  he  had 
fought,  and  who  had  rushed  with  such  recklessness  of 
life  against  the  chateau  of  the  Tuileries,  bristling  with 
bayonets  and  throwing  out  sheets  of  lead  at  every 
assault.  He  had  admiration  for  those  patriots,  an 
admiration  heightened  by  his  wound  ;  he  was  a  true 
soldier,  and  the  heart  of  a  soldier  is  great  enough  to 
take  in  the  valor  of  an  enemy  with  whom  he  has  battled. 
But  the  skin  of  these  bourgeois  was  thick,  and  their 
silence  was  shameless.  He  felt  as  though  he  must 
escape,  as  though  he  must  gain  the  open  air  where  he 
could  breathe,  where  he  could  shake  off  the  oppressive 
atmosphere  of  treachery,  where  his  eyes  should  not  look 
upon  a  spectacle  so  revolting  to  his  honor  and  to  his 
noble  soul. 

Comte    de    Neipperg    with    difficulty    controlled    his 


voice  as  he  said  coldly  and  with  an  unconcealed  sneer: 
"  Gentlemen,  you  have  heard  the  communication  from 
the  commander-in-chief,  what  rephr  do  you  wish  me  to 
convey  to  the  Duke  of  Brunswick?" 

A  voice  broke  the  deep  silence: 

"Don't  you  think,  gentlemen,  that  while  you  may 
recognize  the  truth  of  the  unhappy  sentiment  expressed 
by  the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  that  you  might  reasonably 
delay  your  response,  and  perhaps  permit  the  artillery 
of  M.  le  Due  to  do  your  city  the  honor  of  presenting  it 
with  a  few  bombs  ? " 

At  the  first  word  Neipperg  started  from  his  attitude 
of  indifferent  contempt,  the  blood  rushed  to  his  face,  his 
eyes  lighted  with  a  fierce  glare  and  looked  full  into 
the  repellant  countenance  of  his  rival,  Lowendaal.  He 
made  a  movement  as  though  he  would  spring  at  the 
throat  of  the  baron;  he  restrained  himself  with  the 
thought  that  he  was  an  ambassador,  that  he  had  a  mis- 
sion to  perform,  that  he  was  no  longer  a  private  indi- 
vidual in  a  private  capacity.  This  thought  ran  through 
his  mind  and  held  his  hand. 

And  it  was  followed  by  another,  by  a  more  distressing 
thought:  If  the  baron  were  in  Verdun,  was  not  Blanche 
de  Laveline  also  here  ? 

But  how  could  he  discover  her?  How  could  he  see 
her?  How  could  he  talk  with  her.  He  could  only  hope 
that  the  baron  might  in  some  manner  disclose  the  refuge 
of  Blanche.  If  this  failed,  then  he  would  search  for  her, 
and  have  others  search  for  her,  and  find  her. 

A  murmur  went  up  from  the  crowd  at  the  words  of 
Lowendaal. 

"Why  does  he  mix  up  in  it,  this  farmer?"  said  the 
bourgeois  among  themselves.  "  Has  he  houses,  and 
a  home,  and  merchandise  in  the  city  ?  Does  he  support 
the  government  here  ?  We  know  that  it  is  impossible  to 
resist;  the  commander  of  the  engineers  has  told  us  so; 
then  why  should  we  massacre  all  our  people  and  what 


140     

reason  is  there  that  we  should  expose  ourselves  to  this 
artillery  fire  ?  " 

"  Our  population  is  a  sensible  one,  and  dreads  the 
horrors  of  a  siege,"  said  the  president,  in  answering  the 
proposition  just  made  by  the  baron;  "  the  advice  we  have 
just  heard  from  M.  le  Marquis  de  Lowendaal  would  do 
very  well  for  the  canaille,  but  all  those  who  have  no 
possessions  have  already  deserted  the  city;  they  have 
taken  refuge  at  Thionville,  they  have  found  there  the 
safety  which  they  sought;  they  have  escaped  the  fire 
and  we  hope  they  will  never  return  to  Verdun.  Gentle- 
men, shall  we  take  advantage  of  their  example,  or  shall 
we  invite  the  cannonade  ?" 

"  No !  No  !  No  bombardment !  Agree  to  the  con- 
ditions! "  came  from  twenty  directions. 

And,  as  if  to  make  the  pressure  stronger,  the  delegates 
crowded  about  the  president,  grasping  pens  or  pencils 
in  their  hands,  pressing  forward  to  affix  their  signature 
to  the  agreement  for  capitulation. 

Neipperg  looked  on  in  silence  at  this  panic  that  stam- 
peded the  representatives  of  a  great  people  and  urged 
them  to  such  disgraceful  resources. 

The  president  of  the  assembly  held  the  hesitating  pen 
between  his  trembling  fingers,  his  signature  would  seal 
the  nefarious  bargain,  he  hesitated  not  from  loyalty, 
but  from  shame,  he  had  overcome  one  as  he  long 
since  had  overcome  the  other  and  had  made  the  first 
stroke  upon  the  paper  when  a  fierce  discharge  of  fire- 
arms shook  the  windows  of  the  chamber  and  startled 
the  entire  assembly  to  its  feet.  The  roll  of  drums  sent 
its  inspiring  sound  through  the  open  doors,  and  there 
burst  forth  over  and  above  the  clamoring  shouts  in  the 
turbulent  streets,  the  inspiring  strains  of  the  Carmag- 
nole. 


XIX. 

THE    OATH    OF    BEAUREPAIRE. 

THE  city  was  awake  with  an  indescribable  enthusiasm; 
the  windows  of  the  houses  were  thrown  open  and 
thronged  with  the  excited  populace;  the  city  was  illumi- 
nated as  if  for  a  fete.  On  the  public  squares  great 
torches  shot  their  flames  towards  heaven  and  the  towns- 
women,  alone,  or  with  their  husbands  or  lovers,  or  lead- 
ing their  children  by  the  hands,  crowded  the  streets 
and  gathered  in  groups  around  the  crackling  bonfires, 
whose  flickering  light  gave  them  a  fantastic  weirdness. 

It  was  the  volunteers  from  Mayenne-et-Loire  who  had 
shouted  out  the  patriotic  words  of  the  "  Ca  ira,"  who 
had  by  that  means  given  the  joyous  signal  to  the  citizens 
that  they  had  come  to  their  relief. 

There  were  comparatively  few  men  in  the  mass  of 
people  that  greeted  the  new-comers;  they  held  away  at 
a  distance  and  looked  upon  this  martial  tumult,  while 
they  did  not  aid  it  by  their  participation. 

The  procureur-syndic  called  the  attention  of  the  presi- 
dent to  this  peculiarity. 

"  Here  comes  these  damned  volunteers  with  their  up- 
roar ! "  he  remarked. 

To  which  M.  Gossin  answered  with  a  surly  shrug  of 
his  shoulders: 

"  Wait  awhile,  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  will  rid  us  of 
them  shortly." 

After  which  he  added: 

"  If  these  devils  are  let  loose,  we  will  certainly  be  bom- 
barded !  " 

The  words  had  no  sooner  left  his  lips  than  a  loud 
hissing  was  heard  in  the  air,  then  a  dull  roar  as  of  a 
rlistant  cannon  and  there  came,  as  if  from  the  sky,  a 
lightning  trail  all  blood  red,  cutting  through  space  with 


142 

the  fury  of  a  fiend;  the  windows  of  the  City  Hall  rattled; 
a  sudden  blast  like  a  fearful  wind  blew  across  the  faces 
of  the  two  traitors  and  before  their  eyes  could  follow 
the  red  shaft  a  thud  that  shook  the  ground  was  heard, 
and  a  building  standing  on  the  corner  opposite  the 
City  Hall  crumbled  and  slid  down  into  the  street. 

"  God  !  I  told  you  so  !  The  Prussians  are  firing  upon 
us  !  "  screamed  the  procureur-syndic,  appalled  by  the 
terrible  effect  of  the  shot.  "This  is  the  bombardment 
you  wanted;  are  you  well  satisfied,  baron?" 

The  procureur  turned,  thinking  Lowendaal  was  behind 
him,  but  that  cautious  and  diplomatic  farmer  had  dis- 
appeared. Impatient  with  anxiety,  wishing  to  know 
the  whereabouts  of  Blanche  and  supposing  that  Lowen- 
daal would  seek  her  directly  he  left  the  assembly, 
Neipperg  was  also  disappearing  upon  the  trail  of  the 
farmer. 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  do  here,  gentlemen,"  the 
comte  said  hastily,  as  he  turned  away,  "the  cannon  has 
spoken;  my  mission  is  at  an  end;  I  shall  return  to  my 
commander." 

"  Monsieur  le  Comte,"  the  president  supplicated,  "  do 
not  leave  us;  remain  here,  it  is  important;  all  can  be  ex- 
plained, all  can  be  arranged" 

"  I  do  not  see  how  !  "  rejoined  Neipperg,  "  the  cannon 
on  your  ramparts  gives  answer  to  our  overtures;  the 
drum  beats  in  your  streets  and  even  now  in  your  city 
hall  they  find  men  to  protect  your  walls  and  serve  at 
your  guns" 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  long  roll  of  drums  on  the 
staircase  of  the  City  Hall,  and  following  it  a  confused 
sound  of  hurrying  footsteps,  then  came  the  clash  of  gun 
stocks  against  the  pavement,  as  the  troops  rested  on 
their  arms. 

"  They  dare  to  come  here  !  "  shrieked  the  procureur- 
syndic  in  his  exasperation,  "  monsieur,  commander,  go 
quickly;  give  an  order  at  once  to  seize  those  drummers 


143 

and  that  the  men  shall  return  to  the  barracks  we  have 
provided  for  them,"  and  the  magistrate  addressed  M. 
Bellemond,  chief  of  the  engineers  and  the  artillery. 

"At  once,  Monsieur  le  Procureur,"  responded  the 
cowardly  officer.  "  the  order  shall  be  given.  In  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  Verdun  shall  be  quiet." 

"  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  Verdun  will  be  in  flames, 
and  \ve  shall  be  singing  the  '  Marseillaise  '  to  the  music 
of  these  shells,"  shouted  a  powerful  voice  behind  them. 

The  door  was  forced  open  by  a  blow  and  Beaurepaire, 
accompanied  by  Lefebvre  and  having  in  his  train  the 
soldiers  of  the  Thirteenth  and  the  volunteers  from 
Mayenne-et-Loire,  appeared  before  the  affrighted  offi- 
cials looking  as  threatening  as  the  god  of  war.  The 
president,  disconcerted  by  the  timely  interruption,  en^- 
deavored  to  exert  what  he  believed  to  be  his  authority: 

"  Who  has  authorized  you,  commander,  to  come  here 
and  disturb  the  deliberations  of  this  municipality  and  of 
the  citizens  who  have  come  together  in  council  ?  " 

"  I  am  informed,"  replied  Beurepaire,  "  that  you  are 
here  mixed  up  in  an  infamous  treason,  and  that  you 
talk  of  surrendering  the  city.  Is  it  so,  citizens  ? 
Answer  !  " 

"We  have  not  yet  made  known  the  resolution  of  the 
authorities,  commander,  therefore  will  you  and  your  men 
retire  and  cease  this  firing  that  you  have  begun  without 
having  received  any  notice  from  the  council  for  defense!  " 
the  president  said  severely. 

Beaurepaire  reflected  a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  re- 
spectful manner  and  in  a  quiet  voice,  he  said: 

"Gentlemen,  it  is  true,  I  have  not  awaited  instructions 
from  your  council  before  firing  on  the  Prussians,  who 
have  already  approached  the  gates  and  are  prepared 
to  enter  at  the  first  signal,  a  signal,  gentlemen,  I  am  satis- 
fied will  be  given  by  some  one  inside  the  city.  I  have 
barricaded  the  gates;  my  brave  friend,  Lefebvre,  who  is 
there,  has  placed  his  men  on  both  sides  of  each  gate 


144     

and  the  enemy  is  stopped — and  in  good  time  too.  for 
they  had  come  near  enough  to  see  what  we  are  doing  on 
the  walls,  but  I  sent  them  a  few  bullets  that  warned 
them  we  had  no  wish  for  their  visits.  I  have  arrived  in 
season  with  my  volunteers,  and  I  admit  that  I  did 
not  give  a  thought  to  waiting  for  the  advice  of  the  coun- 
cil for  defense  ! " 

"  And  you  have  done  wrong,  commander,"  said  the 
chief  of  engineers. 

Beaurepaire,  removing  his  hat  and  looking  into  the 
eyes  of  Bellemond,  rejoined: 

"  Comrade,  I  will  reply  for  my  conduct  before  the 
representatives  of  the  people  and  for  my  delay  in  coming 
here;  I  respect  the  commune  of  Verdun  and  its  munici- 
pal officers;  I  hope  they  are  patriots,  and  I  am  ready  to 
show  deference  to  them;  I  will  take  their  orders  for  all 
that  concerns  the  interior  service  of  the  city  and  the 
police  regulations,  but  as  for  that  which  concerns  my 
action  as  a  soldier  and  the  manner  in  which  I  shall 
fire  shells  at  the  Prussians,  you  will  permit  me,  com- 
rade, to  do  as  I  consider  proper.  Harken  to  what  I 
say  !  I  am  here,  your  equal  in  rank,  and  we  should  stand 
together  and  in  accord  repulse  the  enemy  and  save  the 
people." 

The  energetic  and  patriotic  words,  spoken  in  no  hesi- 
tating manner,  stirred  the  blood  of  the  chief  of  engi- 
neers, who  was  in  reality  a  man  of  spirit  and  bravery 
but  who  had  been  influenced  and  his  sentiments  domi- 
nated by  the  president  and  the  procureur-syndic,  and 
the  flush  of  an  awakening  patriotism  mantled  his 
cheeks. 

"  But,  you  should  take  the  opinion  of  the  council  be- 
fore giving  battle  !  "  he  ventured. 

"  When  the  enemy  is  at  the  gates  and  the  natural  de- 
fenders of  the  city  hesitate,  the  council  for  defense,  if  it 
were  then  consulted  would  order  the  commander  to 
barricade  the  roads,  to  place  sharpshooters  on  the 


walls,  to  bring  their  cannon  to  bear  upon  the  approach- 
ing enemy  and  to  fire  into  their  midst.  It  is  that  which 
I  have  done,  comrade,  just  as  though  I  had  been  given 
the  time  to  consult  the  council  where  you  preside.  And 
in  reality  would  I  have  received  any  other  orders?  Could 
I  as  commander  have  done  anything  else?  All  you  can 
reproach  me  with  is  that,  possibly,  I  did  not  begin  firing 
soon  enough, — but  all  my  munitions  had  not  yet  ar- 
rived; they  are  here  now  !  Stop,  there  they  go  !  " 

His  words  were  drowned  by  the  terrific  thunder  of 
cannon  in  the  direction  of  Porte  Saint  Victor. 

The  president  and  the  procureur-syndic  shuddered  as 
the  sound  broke  upon  their  ears;  they  shuddered  not 
from  fear  but  with  the  knowledge  that  a  rain  of  shells 
would  follow  and  their  property  might  be  destroyed. 

"  He  is  a  brave  man  !  "  Comte  de  Neipperg  said  to 
himself,  as  he  looked  into  the  radiant  face  of  Beaurepaire, 
for  his  intention  to  follow  Lowendaal  had  been  changed 
by  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  volunteers,  and  he  had 
remained  a  silent  witness  to  the  interview.  Then,  step- 
ping forward  and  saluting  the  commander,  he  said  in 
his  courtly  way: 

"Commander,  I  do  not  think  you  should  remain  igno- 
rant of  who  lam;  I  am  Comte  de  Neipperg,  aide-de-camp 
to  General  Clerfayt  " 

"  You  are  in  civilian's  dress!  "  Beaurepaire  interrupted 
defiantly. 

"  I  did  not  come  here  in  my  official  capacity,  com- 
mander, but  simply  to  lay  before  the  municipality  of 
Verdun  and  the  counsel  for  defense  a  note  from  my 
chief." 

"  A  summons  to  surrender  the  city,  no  doubt  ? " 

"  You  have  said  it !  " 

"  And  what  have  these  men  here  replied  ? " 

Beaurepaire  looked  savagely  at  the  officials,  while 
they,  abashed  by  the  glance  of  his  honest  eyes  and  the 
ring  of  his  noble  words,  turned  their  heads  from  him. 


146 


Gossin,  the  procureur-syndic,  whispered  in  the  ear  of 
the  president: 

"  If  this  envoy  from  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  tells  all, 
this  blackguard  Beaurepaire  is  quke  capable  of  having 


us  all  shot  by  these  brigands  of  his,  my  poor  M. 
Ternaux." 

"  I  fear  it,  my  poor  M.  Gossin,"  the  president  an- 
swered, sadly. 

But  Neipperg,  recognizing  the  situation,  and  having 


147     

no  desire  to  expose  the  cowardice  for  which  he  could 
with  difficulty  suppress  his  contempt,  contented  himself 
with  saying  simply: 

"  I  had  not  yet  time  to  receive  tlit  decision  of  the 
gentlemen.  You  yourself  have  now  given  me  a  response 
for  my  chief." 

"  Then,  monsieur,  your  mission  is  concluded.  Will 
you  permit  me  the  honor  of  conducting  you  myself  to 
the  outposts?"  Beaurepaire  said,  with  extreme  polite- 
ness. 

"  I  am  at  your  orders,  commander." 

They  left  the  salon,  and,  as  Beaurepaire  reached  the 
door,  he  turned  for  the  last  time  towards  the  president 
and  procureur,  saying: 

"Gentlemen  of  the  commune,  I  have  promised  my 
men  to  bury  myself  with  them  beneath  the  falling  walls 
of  Verdun  rather  than  surrender  the  city.  I  hope  you 
will  indorse  my  promise." 

"  But,  commander,  if  the  city  wishes  to  surrender,  if 
the  inhabitants  refuse  to  permit  this  bombardment, 
what  shall  you  do  ?  Shall  you,  despite  the  protests  of 
the  people,  continue  this  murderous  fire  ?  What  shall 
you  do  ?  We  await  your  response  !  "  said  the  president, 
the  tears  of  rage  and  terror  starting  from  his  eyes. 

Beaurepaire  reflected  a  moment  and  then  said: 

"  If  you  force  me  to  surrender  the  city,  gentlemen,  I 
will— rather  than  submit  to  the  dishonor  and  disgrace 
and  treason  of  breaking  my  oath — I  will  cut  my  throat. 
I  have  come  here  to  defend  Verdun  to  the  death  !  " 

Carried  away  by  the  sincerity  of  his  loyalty  and  filled 
with  resentment  and  disgust  at  the  ignorant  weakness 
of  the  officials,  he  strode  back  into  the  salon,  and, 
bringing  his  fist  down  upon  the  table  with  a  resounding 
blow,  he  repeated  with  all  the  earnestness  of  his  manly 
courage: 

"  Do  you  hear,  gentlemen,  to  the  death  !  " 

And  then  turning  abruptly  from  them,  he  disappeared 


148 


through  the  door!  The  officials,  paralyzed  by  the  energy 
of  the  commander,  terrified  by  his  unquestionable  integ- 
rity and  incorruptible  character,  remained  silent. 

"  If  he  were  killed,"  said  a  deep  voice  behind  them, 
"  that  would,  indeed,  be  an  advantage  to  you,  and  be  an 


advantage  to  us  all,"  was  in  the  voice  of  Lowendaal, 
and  the  few  whom  he  addressed  welcomed  him  gladly. 

"The  bombardment  was  terrible,"  said  another  voice; 
"the  volunteers  were  upon  the  walls  fighting  like  furies 
And  then  the  fantastic  evolutions  of  the  Thirteenth. 
They  have  with  them  a  sort  of  female  devil,  the  wife  of 
Captain  Lefebvre,  who  is  a  cantiniere,  and  she  acts  as 
though  she  were  crazy;  she  carries  the  ammunition  her- 


149     

self  and  served  a  cannon,  throwing  deadly  shells  into 
the  ranks  of  the  Prussians.  Happily,  not  many  of  the 
soldiers  are  like  the  woman,  otherwise  the  Austrians 
would  not  be  able  to  get  in  here." 

"  And  you  have  any  hope  of  that,  baron  ? "  said  the 
president  to  the  new-comer. 

"  More  than  ever;  the  bombardment  was  necessary;  I 
said  so;  the  inhabitants  had  not  been  sufficiently 
impressed;  my  man,  my  faithful  Leonard,  is  working 
among  the  laborers,  they  do  not  accept  the  thought  of 
surrender  favorably,  but  by  to-morrow  morning  they 
will  clamor  for  it." 

"You  are  most  excellent  in  restoring  our  confidence 
and  hopes." 

"  I  tell  you,  Monsieur  le  President,  they  will  come  to 
you  and  make  you  sign  the  treaty  of  surrender  by  main 
force." 

"  Heaven  grant  that  it  be  so,"  sighed  the  president. 
"  But  the  envoy  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  has  returned 
to  his  chief." 

"  It  will  be  necessary,  then,  for  some  one  to  go  to  the 
Austrian  camp,  and  carry  to  him  the  assurance  that 
to-morrow  the  general  will  find  the  gates  open  to  him." 

"  But  who  can  we  entrust  with  that  mission  ?" 

"Me!" 

"Ah!  then  we  are  saved  !  "  cried  the  president,  who 
in  his  joy  embraced  the  baron. 


XX. 


LEONARD  S    MISSION. 

SOME  minutes  later  Lowendaal,  provided  with  the 
terms  of  the  surrender  in  duplicate  with  those  that  had 
been  prepared  for  Comte  de  Neipperg,  went  out  of  the 
Hotel  de  Ville.  He  hastened  with  all  speed  to  the  ren- 
dezvous that  he  had  arranged  with  Leonard. 


ISO     

The  meeting-place  was  near  by,  and  it  was  within  a 
few  minutes  that  the  baron  was  passionately  whispering 
some  secret  instructions  in  the  ear  of  his  attendant.  As 
Leonard  comprehended  the  words  that  were  said  to 
him,  he  gave  every  evidence  of  the  most  profound  sur- 
prise and  glanced  nervously  about  as  though  he  feared 
the  presence  of  another  witness  to  the  tale  he  was  forced 
to  hear.  Twice  the  baron  repeated  his  instructions,  and 
even  then  his  hearer  appeared  unable  to  appreciate  their 
full  meaning;  and  the  baron,  irritated  by  the  apparent 
reluctance  of  the  man  to  comprehend  what  was  said, 
finally  exclaimed  in  an  angry  voice: 

"  Why  do  you  hesitate?  You  know  we  can  easily  find 
some  one  else  in  the  city  to  do  it,  and  you  also  know 
that  there  are  prisons  and  gendarmes  here,  and  if  I 
choose  to  speak  a  certain  person  of  my  acquaintance 
might " 

"  I  know  that,  Monsieur  le  Baron,"  Leonard  replied  in 
a  sniffling  tone. 

"  If  you  know  it,  then  don't  forget  it  again!  It  pains 
me,  Leonard,  to  be  obliged  to  speak  in  this  way  to  such 
a  devoted  servant  as  you  have  been — ever  since  I  saved 
you  from  the  galleys." 

"  And    now  you  wish  to  send  me  there  !     Oh,  mon- 


sieur 


"  Then  you  will  obey  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  le  Baron,  but  this  is  a  very  serious 
task;  this  is  terrible  what  you  command  of  me." 

"  You  exaggerate  the  importance  of  the  affair,  of  the 
confidence  it  has  pleased  me  to  put  in  you.  Great 
Heavens,  Master  Leonard,  you  have  been  accustomed 
to  the  greatest  docility,  to  the  greatest  devotion.  You 
are  showing  yourself  to  be  ungrateful.  It  is  a  terrible 
fault,  this  tendency  to  forget  the  favors  that  have  been 
done  us." 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron,  I  shall  be  eternally  grateful  to 
you,"  replied  the  miserable  man,  whom  Lowendaal  had 


surprised  robbing  his  employers  by  means  of  a  false  key, 
"  I  am  ready  to  follow  you  and  to  go  wherever  it  pleases 
you  to  lead  me.  But  this,  that  you  order  me  to  do 
now,  is  " 

"  Abominable,  did  you  say  ?  You  have  some  new- 
born scruples,  Master  Leonard  ?" 

"  I  am  not  permitted  to  find  anything  abominable  that 
Monsieur  le  Baron  commands.  I  was  just  going  to 
say  " 

"  And  what  were  you  going  to  say  ?  I  am  rather  curi- 
ous to  know  your  opinion." 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron,  the — thing — is  dangerous — Oh  ! 
not  only  for  myself,  but  if  I  should  be  seen  and  should 
be  compelled  to  say  that  Monsieur  le  Baron  had  or- 
dered me  " 

"  In  the  first  place,  no  one  would  believe  it,"  the  baron 
interrupted  curtly,  "  and  then  again  you  will  have  no 
proof  of  any  such  orders  which  you  might  pretend  you 
had  received  from  me,  and  finally,  I  want  to  assure  you, 
beyond  question,  that  my  arrangements  are  already 
made  to  take  care  of  you  and  obtain  your  release  in  the 
very  improbable  case  of  their  discovering  you." 

"Truly,  Monsieur  le  Baron?" 

"  My  carriage  will  be  in  readiness  near  the  Porte 
Neuve,  on  the  road  to  Commercy.  They  have  no 
guards  on  that  side." 

"  But  how  can  I  get  out  ?  " 

"  On  a  mission  from  the  council  for  defense.  You 
will  be  provided  with  a  safe  conduct,  and  you  will  go 
to-morrow  to  the  camp  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick." 
With  these  words,  Lowendaal  handed  to  Leonard  a 
blank  pass  made  out  by  the  municipal  officers,  and 
permitting  the  baron  to  go  through  the  lines.  Leonard 
looked  at  it  carefully,  and  then  in  a  reassured  voice,  he 
said: 

"I  will  obey!" 

"  Bear  well  in  mind  the  one   object  of  your  mission, 


152    

and  do  not  allow  the  volunteers  to  take  you.  If  you  are 
arrested,  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  to  learn  anything 
about  your  antecedents;  they  will  not  send  you  to  the 
galleys;  I  suppose  you  would  prefer  a. quick  death  to 
that ! " 

Leonard  shivered. 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  Monsieur  le  Baron  !  " 

"Very  well,  I  guess  you  understand.  Go  now  and 
send  me  what  information  you  can  from  the  camp." 

"  I  will  try,  Monsieur  le  Baron.  It  is  an  equal  thing, 
escape  after  which  you  ask  me  to  do  and  being  caught; 
I  fear  that  the  carriage  will  await  me  at  the  Porte 
Neuve  needlessly." 

"  Imbecile!  in  a  city  where  every  part  of  it  is  excited 
by  the  bombardment,  where  the  flames  are  raging  in 
every  street,  surveillance  is  impossible.  I  count  on  you, 
Master  Leonard.  If  you  prove  treacherous,  or  if  you 
come  to  me  with  some  queer  story  of  failure,  you  can 
rely  on  one  thing,  that  my  first  visit  shall  be  to  the 
president  and  my  second  to  the  official  who  has  charge 
of  those  criminals  who  will  be  the  next  that  are  sent  to 
the  galleys  of  Toulon.  Adieu,  Master  Leonard,  until 
to-morrow  at  daybreak." 

Lowendaal,  with  a  nonchalant  air,  strolled  tranquilly 
towards  the  Porte  Neuve,  leaving  Leonard  perplexed 
and  meditating  on  the  accomplishment  of  the  mission 
he  had  undertaken. 

"How  can  I,  without  attracting  attention,  get  into 
the  house  of  Madame  Blecourt  ?  How  can  I  reach 
Commander  Beaurepaire  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
when  he  is  without  escort,  disarmed,  sleeping  ?  "  Leon- 
ard muttered  to  himself. 


XXI. 

THE    CAMP    OF    THE    INVADERS. 

ON  leaving  Leonard,  Lovvendaal,  as  we  have  said, 
strolled  across  the  street,  murmuring  beneath  his  breath 
and  in  a  satisfied  manner: 

"  He  trembles  at  the  task;  but,  pshaw,  the  fear  of  the 
galleys  will  be  sufficient  to  take  away  all  dread  of  this 
bully,  Beaurepaire.  Place  a  man  between  two  alterna- 
tives, going  to  the  galleys  or  simply  risking  his 
precious  person  to  be  seized,  provided  the  man  is 
intelligent  and  Leonard  is  certainly  not  a  fool,  and  he 
will  naturally  select  the  latter.  Then  he  will  do  his  best 
and  won't  be  caught.  It  will  go  a  little  against  his  heart, 
and  his  legs  may  tremble,  but  he  will  go  just  the  same. 
What  are  these  soldiers,  anyhow  ?  When  they  are  sent 
to  face  the  cannon,  it  is  not  always  the  love  of  glory 
that  inspires  them,  it  is  also  the  fear  of  the  bullets;  this 
proves  itself,  because  they  would  run  away  if  it  were  not 
for  the  pressure  of  the  masses.  Leonard  will  be  alone, 
he  cannot  go  back;  he  comes  from  the  camp  of  the 
invaders  just  as  did  Talthybios,  the  valiant  hero,  at  the 
Palace  of  Atrides,  and  I  hope  he  will  have  the  same 
good  success ! " 

The  baron,  as  may  be  gathered  from  the  few  insights 
we  have  had  into  his  character,  was  not  over-scrupulous 
in  his  little  details  whether  it  be  in  his  capacity  as  an 
individual  or  as  a  farmer,  and  notwithstanding  his 
polite  acquaintance  with  literary  affairs  and  his  rather 
more  than  superficial  knowledge  of  the  best  authors. 
He  walked  late  into  the  night;  he  went  through  the 
silent  quarters  of  the  city  while  every  now  and  then  dis- 
tant detonations  of  guns  fell  upon  his  ears,  and  often  he 
could  follow  with  indifferent  regard  the  luminous  track 


'54 


of   a   hissing  shell  that  with  the   rapidity  of  a   meteor 
raced  across  the  black  heavens. 

The  enemy  was  not  bombarding  the  side  of  the  city 
where  the  baron  walked. 

The  only  sound  of  human  voices  interrupting  the 
sombre  stillness  of  this  quarter,  was  the  occasional  cries 

from  some  anxious 
wanderer  who  hailed 
the  sentinel  on  the 
upper  walls  with  an 
injunction  to  be  alert. 
The  baron  had  reach- 
ed the  Porte  Neuve 
which  was  controlled 
by  a  detachment  of 
the  National  Guard, 
whose  officer  had  been 
instructed  by  the  pro- 
cureur-syndic  to  per- 
mit the  passage  of 
Baron  de  Lowendaal 
at  any  time  he  choose 
to  present  himself, 
and  so  it  was  without 
difficulty  the  baron 
penetrated  the  line 
and  soon  found  him- 
self on  the  outer  side  of  the  walls  free  to  go  where  he 
would. 

Taking  the  road  leading  to  the  east  through  the  dark 
country  that  surrounded  the  city,  the  baron  soon  reached 
a  little  wood,  where  he  turned  and  a  few  yards 
further  on  came  within  sight  of  a  crackling  fire  made 
doubly  brilliant  by  the  dense  shadow  of  the  surround- 
ings, and  which  marked  the  bivouac  of  the  advance  guard 
of  the  Austrian  army.  Making  towards  it  with  greater 
haste  than  he  had  yet  displayed,  Lowendaal  was  sud- 


'55 

denly  checked  by  the  demand,  in  pure  French,  of  a 
sleepless  sentry: 

"  Who  goes  there  ? " 

"  I  must  have  made  a  mistake,  these  are  Frenchmen 
here  !  " 

Then  he  stopped,  after  calling  back: 

"  A  friend  !  An  envoy  from  the  municipality  of 
Verdun." 

All  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  presently  a  black  mass 
seemed  to  detach  itself  from  the  somberness  and  came 
toward  him,  accompanied  by  the  clashing  of  swords. 
Four  men,  carrying  a  lantern,  came  to  reconnoiter. 

After  having  explained  his  errand  to  the  chief  of  this 
little  group,  and  having  demanded  to  be  conducted  to 
the  commander,  the  baron  was  politely  requested  to  take 
his  place  at  the  bivouac  and  there  await  a  summons 
from  headquarters.  He  accepted  the  invitation  with  a 
readiness  that  arose  from  the  chilly  atmosphere  he  had 
been  exposed  to  for  several  hours,  and  he  took  his  place 
close  up  to  the  burning  fagots  to  restore  his  comfort- 
able warmth.  His  arrival  was  quickly  rumored  around 
the  encampment,  and  those  who  had  gone  to  sleep  were 
shaken  into  wakefulness  by  their  comrades  that  they 
might  speak  to  the  new  arrival  and  learn  what  was  going 
on  in  Verdun. 

The  camp  of  the  invaders  was  strange  and  pic- 
turesque. 

The  army  of  Conde  was  composed  of  volunteers 
gathered  together  from  all  points  of  France,  though 
principally  from  the  west,  and  brought  into  service  to 
battle  against  the  army  of  the  people,  the  defenders  of 
the  white  flag  to  re-establish  the  king,  and  put  down  the 
revolution.  Many  of  these  volunteers  were  under  but 
little  restraint,  some  of  them  had  gone  into  the  army 
because  their  homes  had  been  ruined  by  the  revolution- 
ists, some  entered  through  fanaticism,  some  in  the  hopes 
of  coming  out  of  the  struggle  with  personal  profits. 


156    

This  army  of  rebels  and  traitors  was  divided  by  prov- 
inces, the  gentlemen  retained  their  privileges  and  re- 
fused to  mingle  with  the  others  who  were  below  them 
in  social  status.  Brittany  furnished  seven  regiments 
composed  of  nobles  and  an  eighth  had  been  left  behind 
for  home  defenses.  Even  the  costumes  were  distinctive 
of  caste,  those  who  were  not  nobles  wore  a  uniform  of 
iron  gray;  gentlemen  wore  the  king's  blue. 

Some  deserters,  carrying  with  them  the  uniform  of 
their  corps,  some  officers  of  marines  formed  the  only  real 
military  element  to  be  found  among  them. 

The  marine  corps,  brave  but  superstitious  and  ar- 
dently attached  to  royalty,  were  recruited  among  the 
families  of  the  Breton  littoral,  all  of  them  hostile  to  the 
revolution.  The  desertion  of  the  marines,  who  for  a 
long  time  had  preserved  the  prestige  of  France  upon 
the  sea,  had,  notwithstanding  the  courage  of  the  sailors, 
assured  to  the  English  their  victory  over  the  French  fleet 
and  their  conquest  of  the  ocean  empire. 

The  royal  volunteers  were  poorly  equipped;  their  arms 
were  poor;  their  provisions  were  poor.  The  muskets, 
made  in  Germany,  were  weak  affairs  and  many  of  the 
gentlemen  carried  their  ordinary  hunting-guns.  The 
composition  of  this  army  greatly  resembled  a  company 
of  revolting  Bohemians,  their  ages  were  various,  there 
were  old  men  who  found  it  difficult  to  travel,  there  were 
entire  families  from  the  grandfather  down  to  the  grand- 
son standing  side  by  side  in  the  ranks.  The  picture 
was  touching  and  grotesque.  The  army  of  the  princes 
had  but  little  artillery,  and,  notwithstanding  the  indi- 
vidual courage  of  its  members,  it  could  never  become  a 
soldierly  body  and  it  never  was  any  aid  to  the  royal 
refugee.  The  Prussians  and  the  Austrians  found  noth- 
ing in  these  gentlemen  but  indolence,  made  nothing  of 
them  but  encumbrances. 

The  baron  did  not  invite  either  confidence  or  discus- 
sion with  those  in  whose  midst  he  was  forced  to  await 


157     

a  summons  from  the  general.  As  he  had  but  recently 
come  from  Paris,  he  was  questioned  about  the  condi- 
tion of  the  capital  and  the  prospects  for  a  return  of  the 
King  to  power. 

To  these  questions  Lowendaal  replied  evasively,  say- 
ing he  had  left  before  anything  had  been  determined, 
that  in  the  presence  of  the  noisy  crowds  the  excitement 
and  the  ardor  of  the  revolutionists,  he  could  gather 
nothing,  and  it  had  only  been  since  his  leaving  the 
country  had  been  declared  to  be  in  danger. 

The  young  gentlemen  irritated  by  the  haughty  re- 
plies, showed  their  feelings  towards  the  baron,  who  on 
his  side  requested  to  be  informed  at  what  hour  it  would 
be  likely  the  commander  would  receive  him  at  his  tent, 
as  he  was  impatient  to  complete  his  mission. 

Ignored  by  the  gentlemen  around  the  fire,  who  had 
become  provoked  by  his  unwillingness  to  speak  freely 
concerning  events  in  Paris,  the  baron  sat  alone  by  the 
flame  of  the  bivouac,  but  looking  vacantly  over  and  be- 
yond it  towards  the  gloomy  corner  of  the  walls  of  Ver- 
dun, where  they  abutted  at  the  Porte  Saint  Victor.  He 
looked  each  moment  at  the  distant  spot  as  if  seeking  a 
signal  that  did  not  appear.  He  consulted  his  watch 
anxiously  and  made  no  efforts  to  conceal  the  annoyance 
and  nervousness  he  experienced  at  the  tedious  conver- 
sation of  his  companions. 

"  What  can  be  delaying  Leonard  ? "  he  thought. 
"  Can  he  have  proven  a  traitor?  Did  his  courage  fail  him 
at  the  last  moment  ?  If  so,  I  will  take  a  terrible  revenge; 
I  will  send  him  to  the  galleys,  as  I  have  threatened  !  " 

And  the  baron,  tiring  of  the  ceaseless  clatter  of  the 
volunteers,  feigned  sleep,  closed  his  eyes,  rolled  himself 
in  his  mantle  and  stretched  himself  along  the  ground  at 
the  side  of  the  blaze.  He  had  but  just  settled  himself 
for  rest  when  an  aide  from  the  commander  came  with 
a  message  that  General  Clerfayt  awaited  him  in  his  tent. 

The  baron  rose  from  his  comfortable   position,  and 


i58     

throwing  one  final  glance  at  the  walls  of  Verdun,  he 
followed  his  guide  in  silence.  The  soldiers  he  left  be- 
hind sank  again  into  repose  indifferent  to  the  bombard- 
ment that  was  yet  heard  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
city,  but  which  was  less  furious  than  before  owing  to 
the  thoughtfulness  of  the  Prussians,  who,  fearing  a  long 
siege,  resolved  to  spare  their  ammunition. 

In  the  tent  of  the  general,  the  baron  came  face  to  face 
with  the  aide-de-camp  who  had  acted  as  envoy  to  the 
council  for  defense  in  the  City  Hall  of  Verdun.  Comte 
de  Neipperg  was  in  uniform,  and  responded  with  chill- 
ing courtesy  to  the  effusive  salute  of  the  new-comer. 

The  interview  was  brief. 

The  Austrian  general  asked  concerning  the  disposi- 
tion of  affairs  in  Verdun,  and  as  the  baron  assured  him 
they  were  excellent,  favorable  to  an  entry  the  next  day, 
the  general  stepped  to  the  front  of  the  tent,  and,  throw- 
ing back  the  canvass,  he  swept  his  hand  in  the  direction 
of  the  city  and  at  the  same  moment  a  bursting  shell 
described  a  great  arc  in  the  heavens  and  fell  among  the 
houses  within  the  walls.  The  baron's  gaze  mechani- 
cally followed  the  commander's  hand,  and  as  his  eyes 
traversed  the  track  of  the  deadly  shell  until  it  sank  from 
sight,  he  saw  an  intense  red  tongue  of  flame  leap  from 
the  wall,  flare  up  for  a  moment,  and  then  die  out.  As 
he  saw  it  he  started,  and  his  face  paled,  he  trembled, 
whether  from  joy  or  fear  he  showed  such  terrible  emo- 
tion that  the  commander  said  to  him: 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Nothing,  general,  nothing!  Nothing  at  all,  fatigue, 
that  is  it,  the  anticipation  of  the  joy  I  shall  feel  to- 
morrow, when  the  horrors  of  this  unhappy  siege  are 
over!  "  he  answered,  trying  to  appear  calm. 

"Do  you  believe  the  city  will  open  its  gates  to  us?" 
asked  the  general. 

"  This  very  day  I  was  shown  the  signed  agreement  to 
surrender,"  answered  Lowendaal. 


159     

"Why  did  you  not  bring  it  here  yourself?  Why  was 
it  not  sent  by  my  aide,  Comte  de  Neipperg,  who  went 
there  charged  by  me  and  by  Monsieur  le  Due  de  Bruns- 
wick to  receive  your  acceptance?  " 

"  I  was  not  sure,  general,  that  the  city  would  be  in  a 
condition  to  capitulate  in  the  morning  !  " 

"And  why  not;  what  obstacle  was  there?" 

"  A  relief,  a  chief  of  brigands,  Commander  de  Beaure- 
paire  entered  there  yesterday  evening,  entirely  unex- 
pected, and  went  contrary  to  our  plans,  ruined  our 
hopes  " 

"  A  brave  soldier,  a  worthy  adversary,  that  Beaure- 
paire,"  Neipperg  interrupted. 

"Did  you  see  him?"  said  the  general  with  interest. 

"  I  saw  him  and  talked  with  him,"  answered  the  comte. 
"  You  should  have  seen  him  because  it  was  he  who  put 
Verdun  so  quickly  in  a  state  of  defense;  he  said  to  me: 
'  Verdun  will  never  surrender  ! ' '  As  Neipperg  uttered 
these  words  he  looked  intently  at  the  baron. 

"  What  have  you  to  say  ?  "  demanded  Clerfayt,  address- 
ing Lowendaal.  "  My  aide  has  seen  the  place,  and 
bears  testimony  to  the  energy  with  which  it  is  defended, 
says  the  commander  will  not  surrender,  and  yet  you 
say  the  gates  will  be  opened  in  the  morning.  Explain 
yourself." 

"Pardon,  monsieur,"  said  the  baron,  in  a  slippery, 
unctuous  voice,  "  I  shall  not  contradict  your  aide,  but  I 
have  just  had  a  signal  that  the  obstacle — Beaurepaire — 
I  beg  you  to  pardon  my  hesitation,  my  awkwardness — 
I  assure  you,  as  I  have  already,  that  Verdun  will  sur- 
render." 

"  And  now  you  believe  this  surrender  is  possible  ?  " 

"  Certain,  monsieur  !  " 

"  But  Beaurepaire  ?  " 

"  Beaurepaire  is  dead  !  " 

"Dead  !  How  do  you  know?  How  did  you  learn  it?" 

The   baron   hung  his  head,  and  with  an  hypocritical 


160     

sigh  he  continued:  "Monsieur,  permit  me  to  await  the 
official  confirmation  of  the  news,  which  will  be  brought 
here  by  a  messenger,  the  man  who  brings  the  signed 
capitulation  will  likewise  inform  you,  I  am  certain,  of 
the  Commander  Beurepaire  " 

"  Well,  well,  monsieur,  we  will  wait  !  "  said  the  general 
coldly,  and  made  a  sign  to  the  baron  that  the  interview 
was  ended. 

When  Lowendaal  had  retired,  Neipperg  said  to  the 
Austrian  general: 

"  This  man  is  bad;  he  has  a  face  that  excites  sus- 
picion; under  a  mask  of  satisfaction  and  smiles  he  tells 
us  that  Beaurepaire  is  dead.  He  was  alive  two  hours 
ago,  when  I  left  Verdun;  if  he  is  dead  they  have  assassi- 
nated him  !  " 

Clerfayt  regarded  his  aide  with  surprise,  and  an- 
swered: 

"  We  make  loyal,  honest  war,  we  soldiers,  my  dear 
Neipperg,  but  these  merchants  who  hold  out  their  hands 
and  open  the  gates  of  their  cities,  are  capable  of  any 
infamy,  they  furnish  the  debris  and  the  dirt  in  the 
kitchen  of  victory.  The  diners  at  a  feast  are  not  dis- 
turbed by  the  personality  or  the  methods  of  those  who 
prepare  their  dishes.  One  person  satisfies  his  appetite, 
another  his  glory  !  But  await  our  courier,  my  dear  fel- 
low, because  morning  will  soon  be  here,  and  if  the  baron 
has  spoken  truly,  we  shall  have  many  things  to  do  dur- 
ing the  day,  the  city  to  occupy,  the  posts  to  guard,  the 
authorities  to  change,  and  all  without  considering  the 
review  that  their  majesties  will  give  in  the  midst  of  the 
felicitations  and  homage  of  the  inhabitants.  To  work, 
and,  assuming  that  what  Lowendaal  has  said  is  not 
,true,  we  will  continue  to  send  our  shrieking  messages 
to  this  Beaurepaire,  who  seems,  indeed,  a  sturdy  ad- 
versary." 

And  then,  as  Neipperg  took  his  seat  at  the  small 
table  prepared  t9  write,  Clerfayt  opened  the  flap  of  the 


tent  and  called  to  an  artillery  officer  who  stood  aside: 
"Commander,  continue  firing  from  time  to  time  at 
the  ramparts  so  long  as  you  see  their  flag  flying." 


XXII. 
CATHARINE'S  SECOND  CHARGE. 

WHEN  Leonard  left  his  master,  perplexed,  uncertain, 
frightened,  he  turned  towards  the  Porte  de  France.  On 
that  side  the  cannon  kept  up  an  uninterrupted  roar,  and 
as  Leonard  was  a  novice  in  this  fearful  sound,  his  limbs 
trembled  and  his  face  was  ashen.  He  had  his  orders, 
however,  and  he  dared  not  disobey. 

There,  where  the  firing  was  heaviest,  he  resolved  to 
first  seek  the  man  he  had  been  told  to  find,  Commander 
Beaurepaire. 

As  he  approached  the  fortifications,  he  met  a  party  of 
officers  who  were  gathered  in  a  busy  and  noisy  group 
around  a  large  wagon  before  which  was  a  roughly  im- 
provised table,  covered  with  bottles,  glasses,  pieces  of 
bread,  bologna,  and  Frankfort  sausages. 

It  was  the  canteen  of  the  Thirteenth. 

Behind  the  table  two  torches  blazed  furiously.  Catha- 
rine Lefebvre,  alert,- joyous,  and  smiling,  distributed  the 
drinks  and  repast,  encouraging  the  cannoniers  and  the 
marksmen,  and  joining  in  the  frequent  toast  for  the  de- 
liverance of  Verdun. 

From  time  to  time  Catharine  ceased  her  pouring  of 
wine  and  her  cutting  of  bread  and  sausages,  to  look  in 
the.  wagon  and  assure  herself  of  little  Henriot's  safety. 

"There  is  the  cradle,  there  the  cannon,"  she  said. 

Then  she  would  return  to  her  work,  but  not  without 
growling  forth  some  very  ugly  remarks  about  the  Prus- 
sians and  their  methods  of  firing  shells. 

In  the  commencement  of  the  engagement,  when   the 


162 

enemy  had  come  well  up  under  the  walls  and  had  al- 
most reached  the  gate,  Beaurepaire  had  employed  every 
battery,  had  called  out  every  sharpshooter,  manned 
every  weak  point  for  the  protection  of  the  gate,  and 
Catharine  had  left  her  canteen  and  hastened  to  the 
walls.  There,  like  a  war-fury,  she  had  rushed  from  one 
spot  to  another,  encouraging  the  men,  giving  aid  to  the 
wounded,  and  at  one  moment  seized  a  gun  and  dis- 
charged it  full  into  the  face  of  the  Austrian  cavaliers; 
she  had  contributed  in  no  small  degree  by  her  energy 
to  arrest  the  panic  and  repel  the  charge  of  the  enemy. 

Beaurepaire  had  noticed  it  and  was  pleased. 

When  the  enemy  had  retired,  despairing  of  surprising 
a  city  that  was  so  ably  defended,  Catharine  returned  to 
her  canteen  and  her  customers  thronged  about  her. 

During  the  combat  she  saw  Lefebvre,  who  with  his 
detachment,  protected  the  parapets  and  plunged  a  mur- 
derous fire  into  the  Austrian  columns.  Reassured  and 
made  happy  by  this  baptism  of  fire,  Catharine  had  re- 
sumed her  functions  as  a  cantiniere,  which  she  was  just 
then  fulfilling  with  excellent  good  humor  and  in  a 
manner  that  gave  general  satisfaction. 

As  she  was  filling  the  glasses  of  two  artillerymen,  she 
noticed  among  the  crowd  a  man  wearing  a  civilian's 
dress  and  who  was  looking  intently  at  the  drinkers. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,"  she  called  to  him,  "why  don't  you 
come  up  here  and  have  a  schnick,  as  we  say  at  home  ? 
You  are  a  civilian,  but  that  is  nothing;  to-morrow  you 
will  be  one  of  us,  under  arms,  see  !  You  will  be  defen- 
ding your  country;  come  along,  join  us,  we  are  all 
brothers! " 

And  as  the  man  made  no  reply  to  this  engaging 
appeal,  she  continued: 

"  Don't  go  away  like  that,  friend,  come,  that's  what  I 
said.  Perhaps  you  have  no  money!  That's  nothing. 
I'll  stand  the  drinks  to-day,  you  put  up  the  money  to- 
morrow, What  will  you  have,  citizen  ?" 


163    

The  man  replied  shortly: 

"  Thanks,  I  don't  drink!  " 

"You  are  not  thirsty,  or  you  don't  drink?  What  are 
you  doing  here  then?" 

The  man  hesitated  an  instant  and  then  he  replied: 

'•  I  want  to  talk  with  Commander  Beaurepaire!  " 

Catharine  looked  at  him  with  surprise. 

"You  ?  Talk  to  the  commander?  What  do  you  want 
to  say  to  him  ?  " 

"  I  have  something  important  to  say." 

Catharine  shrugged  her  shoulders,  as  she  always  did 
when  anything  displeased  her. 

"  You  have  chosen  a  good  time,"  she  observed. 

"  We  choose  the  moments  we  can  !  " 

"That  is  true;  but  at  this  moment  the  commander 
cannot  be  seen." 

The  man  shook  his  head  and  continued: 

"  It  is  absolutely  necessary  I  should  see  him." 

Catharine  looked  at  the  fellow  with  sudden  defiance; 
his  persistency  aroused  her  suspicion  and  she  deter- 
mined to  tell  her  suspicions  to  her  husband.  Signaling 
one  of  the  soldiers  without  attracting  the  notice  of  the 
man  himself,  she  asked  him  to  hasten  and  find  Lefebvre 
who  was  with  the  artillery  then  she  thought. 

Excited  by  the  noise  of  conflict  and  his  tongue 
loosened  by  the  numerous  libations  pressed  upon  him 
by  a  member  of  the  municipality,  who  had  interrogated 
him  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  commander,  the  sol- 
dier notwithstanding  the  signal  and  warning  grimaces 
of  Catharine  insisted  that  Beaurepaire  was  taking  a 
little  rest  in  a  house  at  the  upper  end  of  the  city,  where 
he  was  going  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  awaken 
him  and  take  his  horse. 

Catharine  losing  all  patience  with  the  garrulous  ras- 
cal, cried  out: 

"You  talk  like  a  drunken  magpie,  you  had  better  go 
and  take  a  little  rest  yourself,  it  may  do  you  good;  you 


164 

.are  in  no  condition  to  awaken  the  commander  at  four 
o'clock,  even  if  he  did  tell  you  to  do  so.  Go  and 
find  Lefebvre,  as  I  told  you,  I  have  no  other  use  for 
gabblers  and  drunkards." 

"  I  am  going,"  the  man  replied,  cowed  by  the  anger 
of  the  woman. 

Catharine  resumed  her  duty  of  serving  the  soldiers, 
and  after  a  few  moments  she  mechanically  looked  for 
the  man  who  had  insisted  on  speaking  with  Beaurepaire. 

He  had  disappeared. 

Like  a  flash  the  thought  ran  through  her  mind  that 
this  man  intended  some  serious  harm  to  Beaurepaire; 
she  was  prompted  to  follow  him  and  warn  the  com- 
mander, but  she  could  not  leave  her  canteen  at  such  a 
busy  hour  upon  a  vague  suspicion,  and  so  she  waited 
hoping  every  moment  for  the  coming  of  Lefebvre. 

The  defenders  of  Verdun  worked  all  the  night  in 
strengthening  the  walls,  improving  the  position  of  the 
cannon  and  every  now  and  then  visiting  the  canteen 
where  Catharine  impatiently  awaited  her  husband,  and 
tried  to  persuade  herself  there  was  no  need  for  her 
alarm,  and  that  Beaurepaire  was  in  no  peril  from  the 
suspected  man. 

Then  the  memory  of  Lowendaal  would  come  before 
her,  and  her  thoughts  would  become  dark  and  threaten- 
ing. His  face  was  forbidding,  he  had  the  countenance 
of  a  traitor.  What  could  he  devise  against  the  brave 
defender  of  Verdun  ? 

As  the  hours  fled  Catharine  wearied  with  her  work, 
and  finally,  as  the  drinkers  became  less  numerous,  she 
announced  to  those  who  lingered  that  refreshment  for 
the  night  was  at  an  end,  she  retired  to  the  seclusion 
of  her  wagon,  the  distant  sound  of  soldiers  toiling  on 
the  ramparts  borne  to  her  ears  by  the  gentle  wind  in- 
creasing the  lurid  fears  of  evil  to  the  commander  that 
disturbed  her  mind. 


XXIII. 

THE    DEATH    OF    A    HERO. 

AFTER  having  arranged  her  wagon  and  given  a  last 
kiss  to  little  Henriot,  who  was  sleeping  soundly,  Catha- 
rine, forgetting  about  rest  for  herself,  stepped  out  into 
the  street  and  turned  towards  the  upper  portion  of  the 
city. 

Her  suspicions  had  made 'it  impossible  she  should 
remain  quiet,  and  it  was  now  in  the  direction  of  the  home 
of  Mme.  Blecourt  that  she  took  her  way,  to  this  house, 
where  the  commander  had  told  her  to  take  the  little  girl 
she  had  found  in  Jouy-en-Argonne  and  where  now  peril 
menaced  Beaurepaire,  and  where  Catharine  believed 
treason  was  to  be  let  loose  and  murder  was  to  be  done. 

Hastily  she  went  trough  the  deserted  streets,  dark, 
lonesome  and  silent  excepting  for  an  occasional  passage 
of  a  shell  high  in  the  air,  and  within  half  an  hour  from 
the  moment  she  left  her  wagon  she  turned  the  corner  of 
the  street  within  a  few  yards  of  Madame  de  Blecourt's 
residence.  At  that  moment  she  was  startled  by  the 
report  of  a  firearm,  not  the  loud  echoing  discharge  suf- 
ficient to  arouse  the  city,  and  give  warning  of  an  ene- 
my's approach,  but  the  muffled  sound,  which  coming  in 
this  isolated  quarter,  far  from  the  ramparts  and  where 
all  seemed  to  be  deep  in  slumber,  excited  anew  the  terrors 
that  Catharine  pictured  in  her  mind  and  caused  a  fresh 
fear  to  come  over  her.  She  felt  as  though  she  were  in 
the  presence  of  a  crime. 

Hurrying  her  steps  she  caught  sight  of  a  man  running 
in  an  oppsite  direction  and  just  dimly  shadowed  in  the 
darkness.  Perhaps  it  was  her  imagination,  for  it  seemed 
too  obscure  to  learn  anything  with  positiveness,  but  she 
felt  that  this  escaping  shadow  was  the  man  who  had  been 


1 66 

at  her  canteen  earlier  in  the  night.  So  impressed  was 
she  with  this  thought  that,  without  an  instant's  hesita- 
tion, she  cried  at  the  top  of  her  voice: 

"  Heh  !  you  man  !  hold  up,  what  are  you  shooting 
here  ? " 

But  the  unknown  only  redoubled  his  speed  not  even 
interrupting  his  flight  by  looking  around,  he  turned  the 
first  corner  and  disappeared. 

Catharine  checked  her  steps  asking  herself  whether 
she  should  pursue  this  mysterious  intruder.  But  then 
she  reflected  that  although  the  man  was  apparently 
hastening  from  the  neighborhood  it  was  no  reason 
why  she  should  believe  him  guilty  of  the  only  crime 
she  then  had  any  thought  of,  and  she  convinced  her- 
self it  was  more  than  folly  to  associate  the  existence  of 
this  unknown  with  the  safety  or  danger  of  Beaure- 
paire.  Madame  de  Blecourt's  home  was  certainly  suffi- 
cient in  itself  to  assure  the  safety  of  the  chief. 

Thus  reassured,  Catharine  continued  her  way  to  the 
house  where  Hermione  de  Beaurepaire  was  sleeping  with 
the  little  Alice  in  her  arms  and  where  the  commander, 
overcome  by  fatigue,  had  no  doubt  thrown  himself  on 
the  bed  and  in  unconscious  slumber  awaited  recall  to 
the  conflict. 

Thinking  thus  Catharine  reached  the  door  and  had 
her  hand  upon  the  knocker  about  to  awaken  the  in- 
mates by  her  call,  when  cries  and  the  noise  of  shuffling 
steps  were  heard  within,  the  windows  were  violently 
thrown  open,  heads  appeared  on  different  stories  calling 
aloud  for  help.  In  night-dress  and  cap  the  aged  mis- 
tress of  the  house  appeared  upon  the  balcony  wildly 
throwing  her  arms  in  the  air  and  appealing  to  the  de- 
serted street  for  aid. 

At  the  same  time  the  reflection  of  a  red  cloud  appeared 
on  the  fa9ade  of  the  opposite  houses,  volumes  of  black 
smoke  rolled  from  the  open  windows  and  presently  long 
tongues  of  flame  played  around  the  doors. 


i67     

"  Fire  !  fire  !  "  shouted  Catharine,  "  open  the  door  !  " 

The   servants,  losing  their  heads  in  the  excitement, 

rushed  down  the  stairs  with  shrieks  of  terror,  demand- 


ing  of  each  other  the  whereabouts  of  the  key  that  would 
enable  them  to  reach  the  outer  air;  they  finally  burst 
their  way  through  the  obstructions  and  tumbled  into  the 


168     

street.  Several  neighbors,  awakened  by  the  uproar 
threw  open  their  windows  and  joined  in  the  cries  for 
help,  others  prepared  as  speedily  as  possible  to  go  forth 
and  do  what  they  could  towards  saving  the  unhappy  fam- 
ily. But,  courageously,  Catharine  had  already  plunged 
into  the  flaming  building  regardless  of  her  own  safety 
and  thinking  only  of  those  who  were  in  the  midst  of 
danger.  She  mounted  the  stairs  without  knowing  where 
they  led;  she  groped  through  the  dense  smoke,  she 
extended  her  arms  before  her  as  some  little  guide  in 
penetrating  the  darkness  that  was  so  obscure.  The 
nearest  room  had  its  door  wide  open  and  through  it 
she  stumbled,  half  suffocated  by  the  blinding  smoke. 
She  could  see  nothing  before  her,  but  she  called: 

"  Is  there  any  one  here  ?     Save  yourself,  quick  !  " 

No  voice  responded  to  her  cry,  but  at  the  moment  a 
gust  of  air  brought  through  the  chamber  a  long  flash  of 
flame,  and  at  the  same  time  drove  through  the  door  the 
volumes  of  smoke  that  obscured  the  sight.  As  the  air 
half  cleared  for  the  second,  Catharine  uttered  a  cry  of 
terror,  for  there,  extended  on  the  bed  lay  Beaurepaire 
in  the  semblance  of  sleep,  inert,  deaf  to  the  tumult 
around  him. 

Catharine  rushed  towards  the  silent  man  and  seizing 
him  by  the  shoulders,  she  called: 

"  Commander,  quick,  wake  up!    The  house  is  afire  !  " 

The  commander  gave  no  response;  again  the  clouds 
of  smoke  filled  the  room,  suffocating,  blinding,  Catharine 
kneeled  at  the  side  of  the  bed,  rubbing  her  burning  eyes 
with  her  hands;  then  she  felt  for  the  commander's  face, 
saying  to  herself: 

"  Perhaps  he  has  fainted." 

But  the  commander  made  no  move;  she  placed  her 
ear  against  his  pillow,  but  heard  no  breathing.  "  It  is 
strange  how  deeply  he  sleeps  !  " 

She  put  her  ear  on  his  breast. 

"  His  heart  does  not  beat  !  "     An  awful  silence  filled 


169     

the  room.  'Catharine,  unwilling  to  believe  the  terrible 
truth,  placed  her  hand  on  the  commander's  forehead 
and  quickly  drew  it  away,  covered  with  moisture,  with 
some  thick  moisture  that  clung  to  her  fingers  and  added 
to  her  terror. 

Instinctively  she  recoiled,  dizziness  seized  her;  she  was 
so  feeble  she  almost  fell,  she  tottered  to  the  window  and 
leaned  far  out  to  restore  her  senses  in  the  open  air.  It 
was  none  too  soon,  another  moment  she  would  have 
sunken  stupefied  by  the  fumes  of  fire. 

The  flames  circling  around  the  bed  suddenly  brought, 
to  her  sight  the  livid  face  of  Beaurepaire  and  his  head 
bathed    in    blood;  from  a  great  wound  in    his  temple 
a  red  stream  trickled  to  the  floor. 

"The  scoundrels,  they  have  killed  him,"  said  Cath- 
arine, and  she  shouted  one  more  desperate  appeal  to  those 
gathering  on  the  pavement  below  to  help  the  living 
inmates  from  the  confusion  of  the  fire,  and  then  she 
again  plunged  through  the  smoke,  seeking  others  that 
might  require  her  help. 

Another  staircase  reached,  she,  with  an  effort,  climbed 
upward,  surrounded  all  the  time  by  falling  cinders 
blazing  with  the  heat,  by  half-burned  wood,  bits  of 
plaster,  a  rain  of  bits  of  fire  that  made  every  step  more 
dangerous.  Of  a  sudden  there  came  to  her,  through 
the  increasing  sounds  of  crackling  wood,  the  murmur 
of  a  sweet  voice,  singing  in  a  plaintive  tone  a  baby  song. 

Astounded  and  stupefied  Catharine  put  forth  more 
energy  yet  to  find  the  source  of  this  incongruous  inter- 
ruption. Certainly,  some  blind  and  deaf  nurse  could 
be  the  only  living  creature  to  utter  such  a  chant  in  the 
midst  of  such  a  night.  The  voice  came  from  an  upper 
floor  and  Catharine,  braving  herself  to  assail  the  flames 
and  smoke  of  this  last  stair,  pushed  forward.  She 
quickly  reached  the  closed  door  of  a  room  from  whence 
the  voice  came,  a  voice  singing  in  a  monotonous  tone 
the  solitary  refrain  of  a  lullaby. 


Bursting  into  the  apartment  Catharine  saw  before 
her,  with  vacant  eye  and  head  down  upon  her  breast, 
Hermione  de  Beaurepaire,  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the 
bed,  holding  little  Alice  upon  her  knee  and  deaf  to  the 
cries  of  the  child,  who  was  frightened  by  the  smoke 
creeping  in  through  the  crevices  of  the  door. 

"Come  quick!  Come  quick,  madame!  "  cried  Catha- 
rine, "  the  house  is  on  fire!  " 

But  Hermione  continued  her  song  and  continued  to 
rock  little  Alice  on  her  lap. 

"  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost!  Quick!  we  must  get 
out!  "  Catharine  continued  imperatively,  at  the  same 
time  seizing  the  hand  of  the  little  girl  who  was  trem- 
bling and  sobbing  in  her  fright. 

Hermione  arose  with  peculiar  deliberation  and  dig- 
nity, and  bowing  with  gravity  and  reverence,  she  said: 

"  Good  day,  madame!  Do  you  not  know?  I  am  going 
to  be  married,  you  will  come  to  my  marriage,  won't 
you?  You  will  see  how  beautiful  I  can  look! '.' 

"She  is  mad!"  said  Catharine,  "but  this  is  no  time 
to  hesitate.  Come,  follow  me!  "  and  she  spoke  with 
such  imperiousness  that  Hermione  could  make  no  re- 
sistance. With  fixed  eyes,  and  arms  hanging  listlessly 
at  her  side,  she  meekly  followed  the  lead  of  Catharine 
who  carried  Alice  pressed  closely  to  her  to  shield  her 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  smoke,  and  every  instant 
turning  to  see  whether  Hermione  was  coming  after.  In 
this  way  they  descended  the  stair  and  hurried  past  the 
room  where  Beaurepaire  lay.  But  as  Hermione  reached 
the  door,  she  stopped  and  lifting  up  her  arms  she  cried 
with  an  unearthly  cry: 

"  It  is  there — there — the  man — the  pistol  at  his  temple! 
— He  would  have  killed  me,  too,"  and  she  sank  an  inert 
mass  upon  the  floor. 

Catharine  realizing  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  carry 
Hermione  to  the  street,  ran  down '  shouting  for  help  to 
those  below.  Reaching  the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  cling- 


ing  desperately  to  Alice,  she  fought  her  way  out  of  the 
flames  the  half  unconscious  baby  in  her  arms. 

A  group  of  soldiers  who  had  been  attracted  by  the 
fire  and  believed  it  to  be  due  to  the  Prussian  shells,  had 
formed  a  chain  to  pass  water  into  the  building  or  to 
rescue  any  one  who  might  be  overcome  by  the  heat,  and 
when  Catharine  came  forth  with  the  child  she  recog- 
nized among  the  soldiers  many  members  of  her  hus- 
band's company  and,  appealing  to  them,  she  prayed 
they  would  make  an  effort  to  save  the  fainting  Her- 
mione  on  the  floor  above  and  to  drag  from  the  devour- 
ing flames  the  sacred  body  of  their  commander. 

The  men  sprang  forward  and  before  the  last  words 
had  been  uttered  the  rescuers  had  disappeared  through 
the  smoke  that  obscured  the  entrance  to  the  house.  A 
few  minutes  later  they  reappeared,  bearing  the  body  of 
Beaurepaire  and  carrying  the  now  revived  Hermione, 
who  was  struggling  in  their  grasp  and  protesting  against 
her  rescue. 

"  Let  me  go!  Don't  take  me  from  my  house — you 
don't  know  then!  I  am  going  to  be  married — Oh,  the 
church  will  look  beautiful  the  day  I  am  married!  " 

The  fire  had  done  its  work,  the  floors  were  crumbling, 
and  the  walls  were  weakened;  nothing  remained  of  the 
house  but  a  great  pile  of  blazing  timbers. 

********** 

Madame  de  Blecourt  was  so  severely  injured  in  falling 
from  her  balcony  when  they  attempted  to  rescue  her, 
that  she  died  a  few  days  later. 

Hermione,  whose  reason  had  not  returned,  was  placed 
in  the  charge  of  a  good  friend  who  looked  after  her. 

The  body  of  Beaurepaire  was  taken  to  the  City  Hall. 
There  the  president  and  procureur-syndic  declared  the 
commander  had  committed  suicide  when  he  realized 
the  terrible  evils  that  would  result  from  his  not  signing 
the  article  of  capitulation  of  the  city.  This  intention, 
they  claim,  had  been  declared  by  Beaurepaire  when 


they  were  deliberating  on  the  surrender  and  when  he 
had  refused  to  agree  to  the  terms. 

This  story,  accompanying  the  sad  news  concerning  the 
commander,  was  widely  circulated  by  the  traitors  who 
had  brought  about  his  death  and  was  accepted  by  the 
patriots  in  the  absence  of  any  contradiction.  Grand 
honors  were  shown  to  the  memory  of  heroic  Beaurepaire 
in  the  funeral  that  was  given  him,  and  the  council  de- 
clared that  his  suicide  to  be  exemplary  and  glorious. 

The  cowards  who  had  profited  by  the  assassination 
of  Beaurepaire,  so  adroitly  accomplished  by  Leonard, 
the  next  day  opened  the  gates  of  their  city  to  the  Aus- 
trian and  Prussian  armies,  in  virtue  of  the  treaty  of 
capitulation  that  Lowendaal  had  handed  to  the  com- 
manding general  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick. 

The  King  of  Prussia  made  his  triumphal  entry  into 
Verdun. 

He  was  received  by  the  rich  bourgeois  with  acclama- 
tions and  with  open  arms;  President  Ternaux  gave  him 
a  banquet  at  the  City  Hall,  and  the  procureur-syndic, 
Gossin,  in  the  course  of  his  speech,  with  the  coffee,  com- 
pared the  monarch  to  Alexander  the  Great  taking  pos- 
session of  Babylon.  The  daughters  of  the  royalists, 
afterwards  guillotined  and  glorified  by  the  poets  as  mar- 
tyrs, insulted  the  patriotism  of  the  defenders  of  Verdun 
and  carried  the  crown  of  the  King  of  Prussia  upon  a 
cushion,  they  themselves  being  clothed  in  white  with  the 
banner  of  their  noble  families  preceding  them.  Thus, 
they  did  honor  to  a  victor  without  a  combat,  to  the 
master  of  their  city  through  treason. 

Verdun  had  earned  the  title  of  the  city  of  cowards. 
Through  surrender  the  frontier  was  destroyed,  the  road 
to  Paris  was  open,  and  the  armies  of  Austria  and  Prus- 
sia had  nothing  to  do  but  take  up  their  uninterrupted 
march  to  the  capital  and  there  inflict  the  chastisement 
that  had  been  promised  by  Brunswick. 

No  fortress,  no  army,  no  resistance  was   possible  the 


'73 

royalists  thought  in  this  revival  of  their  hopes,  to  stop 
the  onward  march  of  the  victorious  allies. 

The  garrison  of  Verdun  had  been  accorded  the  honors 
of  war,  and  they  left  the  city  with  their  weapons  and 
their  daggers.  Lefebvre,  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  was 
ordered  with  the  Thirteenth  Infantry  to  join  the  army 
of  the  North.  Catharine  took  with  her  little  Alice, 
made  an  orphan  by  the  insanity  of  her  mother.  Alice 
sat  in  the  corner  of  the  wagon  by  the  side  of  Hen- 
riot,  delighted  to  be  once  more  with  her  young  com- 
panion and  the  two  little  blonde  heads  commingled 
their  ringlets  in  innocent  slumber. 

XXIV. 

ON    THE    BORDERS    OF    OBLIVION. 

DURING  all  these  incidents  that  were  rapidly  follow- 
ing each  other  in  the  east,  and  when  Dumouriez  and 
Kellermann  checked  the  invasion  at  Valury  and  saved 
France  and  the  republic  by  forcing  the  Austrians  and 
Prussians  to  retreat  into  Belgium,  where  was  Bona- 
parte ? 

He  was  in  the  midst  of  his  family,  a  refugee  at  Mar- 
seilles and  without  resources. 

After  living  in  one  lodging  after  another,  all  of  them 
in  the  poorest  quarters  of  the  city,  being  driven  from 
her  rooms  by  pitiless  landlords  and  persecuted  by  im- 
patient creditors,  Madame  Letitia  Bonaparte,  possessed 
of  a  noble  soul  and  an  energetic  heart,  found  a  humble 
resting  plao»  in  the  Rue  du  Faubourg  de  Rome.  The 
proprietor  was  a  rich  soap-dealer  named  Clary,  who 
had  learned  of  the  family  and  its  sufferings  and  ex- 
pressed his  sympathy  in  the  practical  way  of  offering 
them  a  home. 

Their    living    had    become    laborious   and    difficult. 


—    174  — - 

Arising  at  daybreak  Madame  Bonaparte  arranged  her 
household  affairs,  cooked,  washed,  prepared  the  modest 
repast,  directed  her  daughters  to  their  respective  work. 
One  attended  to  procuring  and  caring  for  the  provi- 
sions, another  looked  after  the  linen  and  clothes  of  the 
family,  the  youngest  only  were  permitted  to  waste  their 
time  in  play.  The  days  were  occupied  by  the  mother 
and  two  daughters  in  doing  needlework  which  they 
sold,  and  this  humble  income  was  for  a  long  time  their 
sole  means  of  support.  Joseph  finally  secured  a  situa- 
tion in  the  Administration  of  Military  Subsistences,  but 
his  pay  was  so  exceedingly  small  that  it  was  very  little 
help  to  the  family. 

In  this  manner  they  struggled  along  until  the  situa- 
tion became  so  severe  they  were  forced  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  their  title  of  refugees  and  claim  the  rations 
of  bread  which  the  municipality  offered  to  the  poor  of 
the  city,  and  especially  to  those  who  had  been  reduced 
to  this  necessity  by  their  patriotism,  or  who  had  been 
persecuted  because  of  their  adherence  to  the  national 
cause. 

Napoleon,  having  been  again  reduced  to  a  private  in 
the  ranks,  was  unable  to  contribute  anything  to  the 
wants  of  his  family  and  so  great  was  his  misery  and  so 
powerfully  did  it  prey  upon  his  mind,  that  upon  one 
occasion  he  was  prompted  to  suicide  after  the  thought 
frequently  had  found  its  way  into  his  mind. 

One  day,  being  without  a  sou  in  his  pocket,  his  cour- 
age left  him  entirely  and  turning  his  steps  towards  the 
sea  he  resolved  then  and  there  to  kill  himself.  Climb- 
ing to  the  top  of  a  great  rock  that  jutted  into  the 
water,  he  seated  himself  upon  it  and  fell  into  profound 
meditation. 

The  beautiful  green  of  the  waves  attracted  him,  and 
as  he  gazed  into  them  he  hastily  reviewed  the  failure  of 
his  career.  Useless  to  his  country,  disarmed,  his  talents 
reduced  to  the  commonest  labor,  having  no  more  confi- 


1 75 

dence  in  himself,  no  longer  able  to  discern  his  guiding 
star  in  the  heavens,  made  melancholy  by  the  overwhelm- 
ing sense  of  his  isolation,  mortified  by  the  realization 
that  he  had  become  a  burden  to  his  mother,  he  gazed 


\vith  an  unflinching  eye  into  the  inviting  forgetfulness 
of  the  Mediterranean. 

He  could  not  rid  his  mind  of  the  considerations  that 
made  suicide  desirable,  freed  from  life  he  would  relieve 
his  family  from  a  needless  mouth  to  feed,  and  make  the 
ration  of  bread  allowed  them  by  public  charity  so  much 
more  useful.  He  stood  thus  for  an  hour  occupied  with 
the  most  sinister  resolutions,  reproaching  his  courage  in 


i76    

not  permitting  him  to  plunge  into  the  water  without 
further  delay,  persuading  himself  he  had  nothing  to 
hope  for,  nothing  before  him.  He  had  reached  the 
melancholy  resolve  to  carry  out  his  desperate  remedy, 
and  was  ready  to  leap  into  eternity,  when  his  train  of 
thought  was  interrupted  by  hearing  his  name  pro- 
nounced, and  he  turned  with  an  irritated  expression 
towards  the  fisherman  who  had  thus  addressed  him. 

"  So  it  is  you,  Napoleon.  What  the  devil  are  you 
doing  there  that  you  did  not  recognize  me  ?  Desmazis, 
your  old  chum  in  the  artillery  regiment;  have  you  for- 
gotten the  good  times  we  used  to  have  at  Valence  ? " 

Napoleon  recalled  at  once  his  former  comrade  and 
was  unaffectedly  pleased  at  the  meeting.  He  descended 
from  his  place  and  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
former  artilleryman.  Desmazis  explained  that  he  had 
emigrated  at  the  first  indications  of  the  revolution  and 
had  lived  peacefully  in  Italy,  near  Savone  on  the  coast. 
Having  learned  that  his  mother,  at  Marseilles,  had  been 
attacked  by  a  severe  illness,  he  had  come  quietly  there  in 
the  garb  of  a  fisherman  and  had  thus  far  escaped  attention. 

Reassured  as  to  his  mother's  health,  and  satisfied 
that  his  return  and  the  pleasure  it  gave  the  old  lady  to 
hold  him  once  more  in  her  arms  were  genuine  elements 
in  her  recovery,  he  resolved  to  remain  where  he  was 
and  give  his  time  to  the  little  vessel  he  had  acquired. 

"  But  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  he  asked  Napoleon 
with  interest  and  received  in  reply  a  vague  explanation 
of  an  imaginary  important  duty. 

"  You  are  not  contented,  Napoleon?"  said  Desmazis 
with  emotion;  "you  do  not  appear  glad  to  see  me. 
What  is  it  that  worries  you  ?  Is  any  trouble  threaten- 
ing you  ?  Tell  me.  You  really  have  the  air  of  a  foolish 
man  who  had  resolved  to  kill  himself !  " 

Bonaparte,  touched  by  the  sympathetic  tone  of  his 
comrade,  confessed  to  him  his  true  situation  and  admit- 
ted the  intention  to  put  an  end  to  his  life  without  delay. 


177 

"That  is  it,  is  it?"  exclaimed  Desmazis.  "Then  I 
have  found  you  at  a  good  time.  Here!"  and  taking 
from  a  belt  he  wore  a  quantity  of  money,  he  con- 
tinued, "  here  are  ten  thousand  francs.  I  have  no  use 
for  them  at  this  moment,  and  they  are  at  your  disposal. 
Pay  them  back  to  me  when  you  can.  Take  them  and 
save  yourself." 

Suiting  the  action  to  his  words,  he  held  the  ten  thou- 
sand francs  towards  Napoleon,  a  fortune  to  this  officer 
standing  within  the  grasp  of  actual  poverty.  The  gene- 
rous friend  forced  the  money  into  Napoleon's  hand  and 
said  warmly: 

"  Au  revoir,  old  friend  !  my  little  boat  is  there  and 
my  sailors  await  me.  Good  luck,  good-by  !  " 

And  with  no  other  word  he  turned  rapidly  away 
towards  a  small  craft  that  lay  at  some  distance  down 
the  shore,  and  which  he  quickly  gained,  stepped  upon 
its  deck  and  was  soon  standing  out  to  sea. 

Napoleon,  stupefied  by  the  windfall  which  he  could 
only  believe  had  descended  directly  from  heaven, 
remained  motionless  upon  the  sands  until  the  vessel  had 
become  a  speck  on  the  sea  and  then  he  hastened  to  his 
humble  home,  wondering  all  the  way  whether  the 
treasure  he  hugged  with  such  jealous  care  was  really 
his,  or  whether  the  events  of  the  past  few  minutes  had 
been  a  dream.  Bursting  into  their  sparsely  furnished 
rooms  where  his  mother  and  sisters  were  sitting,  Napo- 
leon threw  a  handful  of  gold  on  the  table,  exclaiming: 

"  Mother,  we  are  rich  !  Sisters,  you  shall  eat  all  you 
want  and  you  shall  have  new  dresses,  every  one  of  you! 
Ah  !  this  is  a  grand  stroke  !  " 

Then  he  clinked  the  pieces  together  and  dazzled  them 
all  by  the  volume  and  brightness  of  the  ringing  metal. 

Later,  Napoleon  was  forced  to  employ  detectives  to 
find  his  benefactor  that  he  might  repay  this  noble  loan. 
Desmazis  was  at  last  discovered  in  a  little  village  of 
Provence,  occupied  in  horticulture.  He  was  cultivating 


i78     

violets  and  had  entirely  forgotten  the  aid  he  extended 
to  his  old  comrade  at  such  a  timely  moment,  and  it  was 
only  after  the  most  pressing  solicitation  that  he  accepted 
the  three  hundred  thousand  francs  Napoleon  insisted 
upon  giving  him  as  the  equivalent  of  his  ten-thousand 
loan.  At  the  same  time,  Napoleon  made  him  Director 
of  Gardens  for  the  Crown,  a  post  that  insured  him  a 
handsome  annual  income. 

The  ten  thousand  francs  not  only  saved  Bonaparte 
from  a  miserable  end  and  his  family  from  famine,  but  it 
permitted  Joseph  to  conclude  a  rich  marriage  upon 
which  his  heart  had  been  set,  although  his  condition 
had  discouraged  his  ambition  in  that  direction.  The 
young  lady  who  was  thus  disposed  to  unite  her  fortunes 
with  the  desperate  chances  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  was 
Mademoiselle  Julie  Clary,  eldest  daughter  of  the  other 
liberal  friend  who  had  given  the  Bonapartes  shelter  and 
a  home. 

Napoleon,  who  always  evidenced  a  singular  pleasure  in 
matchmaking,  made  no  secret  of  his  envy  of  Joseph's 
happy  selection  and  enchanting  wife.  He  cast  his  eyes 
towards  Julie's  sister,  Desiree,  and  upon  several  occa- 
sions declared  his  affection  to  that  young  woman  with 
every  evidence  of  seriousness,  and  while  she  received 
his  protests  with  polite  amiability  they  made  not  the 
slightest  impression  upon  her,  and  she,  like  Madame 
Permon,  could  see  in  him  nothing  but  a  penniless 
dreamer  who  was  unable  to  inspire  love  by  his  person- 
ality or  to  demand  it  by  his  prospects.  The  future 
conqueror  of  the  world  could  not  extend  his  triumph  to 
these  two  women. 

Yet,  despite  the  refusal  of  Desiree,  he  continued  his 
attentions  for  many  months  and  the  persistency  with 
which  he  pursued  the  subject  ended  in  arousing  her 
resentment  in  no  small  degree,  and  so  irritated  Napoleon 
that  he  felt  inspired  to  a  conjugal  revenge  and  the  dis- 
dain of  Desiree  had  much  to  do  with  his  selection  of 


179 

Josephine  as  a  wife,  the  Josephine  who  thus  became  an 
Empress. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  destiny  of  Desir£e  was  brill- 
iant. She  married  Bernadotte  and  became  Queen  of 
Sweden. 

This,  then,  was  the  situation  of  Bonaparte  at  the 
moment  when  Lefebvre  and  his  wife,  in  the  battalion 
of  the  army  of  the  north,  marched  towards  the  old 
village  of  Jemmapes. 

XXV. 

JEMMAPES. 

ROBESPIERRE  said,  "  The  war  is  absurd." 

The  war  was  absurd  because  they  had  no  soldiers,  no 
generals,  no  arms,  no  munitions,  no  money,  nothing 
that  is  necessary  to  enable  a  people  to  enter  into  a  cam- 
paign for  attack,  or  to  occupy  a  territory  to  oppose  the 
advance  of  an  organized  enemy.  The  generals  were  all 
royalists  and  traitors,  Dumouriez,  Dillon,  Custine, 
Valence.  The  young  Due  de  Chartres,  who  later  was 
called  Louis  Philippe,  was  favored  by  the  commander- 
in-chief,  Dumouriez,  who  reserved  for  the  prince  a  brill- 
iant undertaking.  The  young  due  occupied  the  Meuse, 
and  checked  the  Austrians  in  their  march  on  Velenci- 
ennes  and  Lille;  he  also  displayed  creditable  bravery  on 
the  important  day  of  Jemmapes. 

The  army — although  it  was  not  an  army,  but  a  mob 
of  combatants,  miserably  equipped,  many  of  them  wear- 
ing a  blouse  and  others  a  farmer's  dress,  many  of  them 
without  guns,  many  armed  with  pickaxes — they  had  no 
cohesion,  no  discipline,  no  instruction.  It  was  an  up- 
rising of  the  people  who,  in  a  moment  of  enthusiasm, 
seized  such  arms  as  they  found  near  at  hand  and  rushed 
pell-mell  to  the  deliverance  of  their  native  land. 

As  they  marched  they  sang,  these  sublime  volun- 
teers! The  Marseillaise,  the  Carmagnole,  the  Ca  ira 


i8o     

accompanied  them  everywhere  on  their  tumultuous 
progress.  They  were  inspired  by  faith,  encouraged  by 
hope,  sustained  by  their  innate  patriotism. 

At  Jemmapes  the  improvised  volunteer  infantry  of 
the  republic  assembled  and  was  commanded  by  the 
former  sub-officers,  such  as  Hoche  and  Lefebvre,  who 
replaced  the  commanders  of  the  nobility  for  they  had 
gone  over  to  the  enemy. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  1792,  as  the  sun,  blazing  red, 
was  sinking  from  view  and  trailing  its  long  banner  of 
blood  along  the  horizon,  the  army  of  the  republic  came 
through  the  distant  woods  and  over  the  surrounding 
hills  and  took  up  its  position  before  the  formidable  de- 
fenses of  Jemmapes.  The  heights  that  surrounded  the 
city  of  Mons  were  peopled  by  three  villages,  which  at 
that  moment  were  the  active  centers  of  a  vigorous  cam- 
paign, Cuesmes,  Berthaimont,  Jemmapes.  The  Austri- 
ans  had  fortified  themselves  on  these  positions  with  re- 
doubts, fallen  trees,  palisades,  all  affording  shelter  to  a 
numerous  train  of  artillery,  a  large  body  of  Tyrolean 
cavalry  and  a  considerable  force  of  trained  infantry. 

The  Duke  of  Saxe-Teschen,  prince  of  the  empire, 
lieutenant  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  governor  of  Hol- 
land, commander-in-chief,  had  under  his  orders  the 
forces  of  General  Clerfayt,  whose  counsel  was  generally 
directed  towards  restraining  the  impetuosity  of  his  chief, 
and  Clerfayt  now  advised  that  the  Austrian  forces 
should  leave  the  city  in  three  columns  during  the  night 
and  fall  upon  the  French  completing  their  destruction 
before  they  had  an  opportunity  to  decide  upon  an  order 
of  battle.  The  advantage,  he  argued,  in  such  a  surprise 
would  naturally  rest  with  the  army  that  was  under  the 
most  perfect  discipline.  The  Duke  of  Saxe-Teschen, 
happily,  considered  that  there  was  little  glory  to  be 
gathered  from  a  night  attack  and  he  therefore  objected 
to  this  plan  and  declared  that  lie  would  await  the  ris- 
ing of  the  sun. 


Dumouriez  profited  by  the  inaction  of  the  enemy  to 
dispose  his  army  in  a  semicircle,  General  d'Harville 
commanding  the  extreme  right,  Due  de  Chartres  occu- 
pying the  center,  intending  to  attack  Jemmapes  en  face, 
General  Ferrand  manoeuvring  on  the  flank  of  the  vil- 
lage to  the  left.  The  order  was  to  advance  in  columns 
by  battalions,  the  cavalry  to  sustain  the  flanks,  the  artil- 
lery being  so  placed  as  to  sweep  down  between  the 
separate  columns.  The  hussars  and  the  dragoons  were 
massed  between  Cuesmes  and  Jemmapes,  to  bar  that 
road  to  the  Austrian  cavalry. 

These  dispositions  being  made  they  lighted  their  fires 
and  passed  the  night  quietly. 

A  small  stream  and  a  little  wood  offered  some  protec- 
tion to  the  French,  while  the  mountains  that  rose  behind 
them  afforded  an  opportunity  to  fire  down  upon  the 
Austrians.  The  chateau  of  Lowendaal  stood  on  what 
was  accepted  as  neutral  ground  between  the  two  camps, 
and  it  had  been  designated  as  the  advance  post  by  the 
two  commanders.  The  chateau  was  not  disturbed  by 
either  of  the  contending  forces,  and  it  was  left  un- 
molested to  the  sole  occupancy  of  its  owner  and  his 
family. 

The  Baron  de  Lowendaal  had  returned  to  his 
home,  and  on  the  night  before  the  French  made 
their  appearance,  his  friend,  the  Marquis  de  Laveline 
had  arrived  accompanied  by  Blanche,  and  the  baron 
more  than  ever  in  love  with  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline 
and  reassured  by  Leonard  as  to  the  termination  of  his 
adventure  with  Hermione,  was  making  preparations  for 
marriage. 

Beaurepaire  dead,  Hermione  bereft  of  her  reason  and 
practically  without  existence,  there  certainly  could  be 
no  obstacle  now  arise  to  his  union.  The  reproaches, 
prayers,  threats,  Lowendaal  realized  had  amounted  to 
nothing  and  the  living  proof  of  his  intrigue,  little  Alice, 
had  disappeared.  The  baron  was  absolutely  free.  He 


had  reached  the  end  of  his  desires;  in  a  few  hours  he 
would  possess  Blanche. 

Notwithstanding  the  protests  of  the  Marquis  de  Lave- 
line  that  the  moment  for  the  celebration  of  the  marriage 
was  unhappily  chosen,  as  the  enemy  might  interfere  with 
the  ceremonies  on  the  next  day,  the  baron  persisted  in 
his  determination  and  his  only  response  was  to  remind 
the  marquis  of  his  promise. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  marquis,  "  you  will  have  to  settle 
it  with  my  daughter;  I  cannot  prevail  upon  her  to  agree 
to  the  marriage  now. 

"That  is  your  lookout!"  the  baron  muttered;  "you 
must  in  some  way  get  reason  into  the  rebellious  girl." 

And,  as  if  this  disposed  of  the  affair  so  far  as  any  op- 
position went,  the  baron  summoned  a  notary  to  come  to 
him  at  once,  and  directed  that  the  chaplain  of  the  chateau 
should  make  preparations  for  the  ceremony  at  an  hour 
to  be  decided  upon  later. 

Midnight,  it  was  determined,  should  see  the  marriage 
celebrated  and  immediately  thereafter  the  newly  wedded 
pair  were  to  leave  for  Brussels,  accompanied  by  the  mar- 
quis, there  they  would  await  in  security  and  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Imperial  army,  the  result  of  the  uprising. 

Blanche  alone  was  ignorant  of  these  arrangements, 
for  ever  since  her  arrival  at  the  chateau  she  had  kept 
herself  secluded  in  her  apartment,  seeing  no  one  but  her 
father.  The  baron  had  twice  insisted  that  he  should 
see  her  or  that  she  should  join  him  in  the  salon,  but  she 
had  refused  to  permit  him  to  enter  her  apartments  and 
had  declined,  with  equal  determination,  to  leave  them. 
Anxiously  she  looked  from  the  window  and  hardly  re- 
moved her  eyes  from  the  long  road  that  disappeared 
between  the  neighboring  hills;  she  watched  as  though 
expecting  some  aid,  some  relief  that  was  late  in  com- 
ing. Her  eyes  swept  over  the  deserted  country,  but 
they  swept  in  vain.  It  was  Catharine  Lefebvre  whom 
Blanche  sought. 


i83     

Her  bosom  agitated,  her  heart  beating  madly,  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  her  hands  trembling  with  such 
nervousness  that  she  could  with  difficulty  restrain 
them,  Blanche  de  Laveline  peered  forth  from  her  win- 
dow awaiting  the  fulfillment  of  Catharine's  promise. 
She  had  every  confidence,  she  knew  Catharine  would 
find  the  rendezvous  and  bring  the  child  with  her. 
But  what  it  was  that  delayed  her,  why  she  allowed  the 
last  day  to  approach  within  twelve  hours  before  mak- 
ing her  appearance,  the  unhappy  Blanche  could  not 
divine. 

She  was  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Catharine  had  joined 
the  army  of  the  north.  She  did  not  know  that  when 
the  scouts  from  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  had  returned 
from  their  reconnaissance  up  to  the  very  walls  of  the 
chateau  they  went  to  Catharine's  canteen  in  the  woods 
of  Cuesmes,  and  there,  while  she  held  little  Henriot  and 
Alice  by  the  hand,  they  told  her  the  road  to  take  to 
Lowendaal.  Catharine  knew  that  Blanche  had  already 
reached  the  chateau,  because  a  countryman,  a  farmer 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  had  said,  in  answer  to  her 
questions,  that  on  the  night  before  a  handsome  man  and 
a  beautiful  woman  had  arrived  there. 

In  her  own  mind  Catharine  had  often  rehearsed  her 
action  and  arranged  her  plan  of  action;  she  would  go 
to  the  chateau;  she  would  see  Blanche  de  Laveline  and 
tell  her  that  her  little  boy,  Henriot,  was  near  her  under 
the  protection  of  Lefebvre's  bayonets. 

This  seemed  to  her  safer  and  easier  than  to  reunite 
mother  and  child  at  once.  This  resolution  taken,  Cath- 
arine placed  two  pistols  in  her  belt  and  left  the  camp, 
directing  her  steps  towards  Lowendaal.  She  had  said 
nothing  to  Lefebvre,  because  he  would  probably  have 
disapproved  of  the  undertaking  in  view  of  the  many 
dangers  to  which  she  Wfculd  be  exposed  between  the 
two  armies  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

But  before  she  left  she  embraced  little  Henriot,  who 


184 

already  slept  peacefully  in  the  wagon  by  the  side  of 
Alice,  and  she  murmured: 

"Sleep,  little  darling,  while  I  go  to  your  mother  !  " 

Then  she  started  upon  her  road,  indifferent  to  the 
perils,  fearless  of  the  Austrians  who  roamed,  fearful 
only  of  her  return  to  the  anger  of  Lefebvre  that  she 
should  have  risked  her  life. 

All  went  well  with  her  and  no  startling  sight  came 
within  the  range  of  her  alert  glances  until  she  had 
reached  the  little  clump  of  trees  that  stood  midway  on 
her  route  to  the  chateau,  and  marked  the  last  advance 
post  of  the  French.  As  she  was  about  to  enter  the 
wood,  she  saw  before  her  the  long  shadow  of  a  man,  a 
tall,  slender  man,  standing  against  one  of  the  trees  and 
apparently  watching,  or  perhaps  a  sentry,  whose  post 
was  properly  here.  Quickly  Catharine's  hand  grasped 
one  of  the  pistols  in  her  belt  and,  drawing  the  weapon 
ready  to  fire,  she  said,  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  friend,  Madame  Lefebvre,"  replied  a  voice, 
filled  with  the  joy  of  recognition. 

"  What  is  that,  a  friend  ?  " 

"Yes,  rnadame,  Violette,  at  your  service." 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,  stupid!  I  came  near  killing  you  !" 
said  Catharine,  recognizing  her  assistant  cantiniere,  a 
devoted  but  simple-minded  boy  who  had  cast  his  for- 
tunes with  the  volunteers.  He  made  no  pretensions  to 
bravery  and  he  was  daily  persecuted  by  the  rude  jokes 
of  his  more  robust  comrades.  Now  Catharine  quietly 
appropriated  the  pistol  he  held  in  his  hand  and  laughed 
at  him. 

"  Go  on,"  she  said,  "  and  at  the  same  time  tell  me 
what  the  devil  you  are  doing  outside  the  lines  !  " 

"  I  was  going  with  you,  Madame  Lefebvre,"  the  boy 
answered,  timidly;  "I  saw  you  leave  the  camp  and  fol- 
lowed you." 

"  To  spy  on  me  ?  " 


185     

"  Oh,  no,  madame;  but  I  said  to  myself  you  would  be 
in  danger,  and  I  would  go  "- 

"  In  danger!  Yes,  certainly;  but  what  is  it  that  you 
could  do?  Danger  and  you,  that  makes  two  dangers  !  " 
and  Catharine  laughed  heartily. 

"  For  a  long  time,  Madame  Lefebvre,  I  have  wished 
to  share  your  danger;  I  have  come  here  because,  per- 
haps, it  is  a  good  opportunity  this  evening  "- 

"  For  what?"  asked  Catharine,  surprised  at  the  per- 
sistency of  her  aide. 

"Madame,"  Violette  answered,  visibly  embarrassed 
and  searching  carefully  for  every  word,  "  because  this 
evening  we  are  quiet,  we  are  in  no  danger  of  being 
seen  " 

"  Why  do  you  not  wish  to  be  seen  ?  " 

"If  I  have  chosen  the  night,  it  is  because  in  the  day 
I  feel  timid;  but  there  is  something  I  have  to  say  to  you, 
Madame  Lefebvre,  I  cannot  delay." 

"  You  came  here  to  see  me  ? " 

"  Oh,  do  not  refuse  me,  do  not  send  me  away.  I  love 
you,  Madame  Lefebvre.  I  have  never  dared  to  tell  you 
at  the  canteen  in  day  time  before  our  comrades,  but 
here  where  it  is  dark  and  lonesome  I  can  tell  you,  I  am 
brave." 

Catharine  replied  in  a  half-irritated  tone  to  the 
amorous  avowal  of  the  youth,  and,  pushing  him  aside, 
she  continued  on  her  route;  but  the  persistent  Violette 
would  not  be  so  easily  disposed  of  and  he  took  up  his 
position  a  few  steps  in  advance  of  the  cantiniere. 

"Stop  !"  exclaimed  Catharine;  "  where  are  you  going 
now  ?  Take  care  !  "  she  added  alarmed,  for  behind  him 
a  dark  shadow  crept  and  sprang  at  his  back,  and  before 
she  could  come  to  his  aid,  the  boy  and  the  shadow  rol- 
led into  the  bushes,  and  then  she  heard  two  pistol  shots 
as  she  fled  along  the  path  that  she  might  more  quickly 
reach  the  open  country  again.  Fearing  an  ambuscade, 
she  checked  her  speed  and  went  forward  more  cau- 


tiously,  looking  carefully  about  her,  when,  suddenly  from 
the  bushes,  she  saw  a  man  spring  forth  and  run  with  all 
his  strength  across  the  open. 

"Poor  boy,"  Catharine  murmured,  "too  bad,  he  will 
be  difficult  to  replace  at  the  canteen,"  thinking  of  his 
dead  body  as  it  probably  lay  in  the  undergrowth  by  the 
side  of  the  path  behind  her.  And  with  this  thought 

uppermost  she 
pushed  ahead,  and 
a  few  moments 
after,  as  she  turned 
past  a  tall  hedge 
that  ran  along  the 
approach  to  the 
chateau,  she  was 
startled  into  an  ex- 
clamation of  aston- 
ishment by  again 
coming  face  to  face 
with  Violette,  this 
time  standing  with 
a  drawn  sword  in 
his  hand,  as  though 
he  were  guarding 
some  precious  ob- 
ject from  some 
possible  attack. 

"You! "  she  cried 
in   an    incredulous 
voice,  "  how  did  you  get  here?" 

"I    quieted    the    Dutchman    who  fired    his  gun  off," 
Violette  answered  tranquilly,  dropping  his  sabre  into  its 
scabbard  at  the  same  moment." 
"  Where  is  he  ?  " 
"  There  in  the  bushes  !  " 
"Dead?" 
"  I  believe  so,  and  yet  he   had  good  luck  in  meeting 


only  a  coward  like  me.  But  I  have  taken  something 
that  is  a  burden  to  me,"  and  he  indicated  a  round  object 
slung  across  his  back. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  she  asked. 

"  That  fellow's  drum.     I  borrowed  it  " 

"What  for?" 

"It  may  be  of  service  !  Perhaps  of  more  use  than  his 
gun  and  then  I  feared  he.  might  give  the  alarm  with  his 
drum,  and  it  would  go  hard  with  us,  if  we  were  found 
here  by  the  Austrians.  Shall  we  proceed,  Madame 
Lefebvre  ?" 

"  You  are  a  brave  boy,  Violette  !  " 

"  You  must  not  give  me  credit  for  it,  Madame  Lefebvre, 
I  know  very  well  what  I  am,  that  I  am  a  coward,  and  I 
know,  too,  that  I  love  you  " 

"Violette,  you  must  cease  such  talk  as  that.  I  for- 
bid it!" 

"  Very  well,  madame,  and  now  let  us  go  on." 

Catharine  looked  at  her  aide  in  surprise;  he  stood 
before  her  in  a  new  light  entirely.  Violette  standing 
up  valiantly  under  fire  !  Violette  vanquishing  an 
Austrian  in  the  bushes,  and  with  no  other  weapon  than 
a  sword  !  What  was  it  that  had  changed  this  timid  boy 
into  this  brave  champion  ?  She  thought  for  an  instant 
that  he  should  return  to  the  camp,  but  he  had  proven 
himself  so  courageous,  so  strong,  that  she  resolved  two 
were  better  in  the  affair  than  one. 

"  Violette,"  she  said  in  a  more  amiable  and  friendly 
manner,  "I  should  tell  you  that  I  am  going  into  danger, 
great  danger.  Do  you  still  persist  in  going  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  would  follow  you  through  fire,  Madame  Lefebvre," 
the  youth  replied  earnestly. 

"  Then  begin  by  accompanying  me  through  the  water, 
because  we  must  wade  that  brook  in  order  to  reach  the 
chateau  you  see  over  there;  it  is  to  the  chateau  I  am 
going." 

"We  are  going,  madame,  I  am  with  you." 


"  Good,  take  care,  and  keep  your  eyes  open." 
The  two  slowly  picked  their  way  over  the  steep  bank 
of  the  stream,  and  crossed  it  with  the  water  high  above 
their  shoes,  and,  as  they  clambered  up  the  opposite  side, 
they  found  themselves  before  the  doors  of  the  baron's 
stables.  With  as  little  noise  as  possible  they  kept  along 
by  the  side  of  the  buildings,  seeking  some  doorway  by 
which  they  might  gain  entrance  to  the  gardens.  After 
stumbling  for  some  minutes  along  the  uncertain  path 
with  hesitating  steps  they  reached  a  spot  where  the  wall 
was  much  lower  than  at  other  places,  and. Catharine 
motioned  to  Violette  to  stoop  a  little  that  she  might 
step  upon  his  back  and  be  thus  enabled  to  vault  the 
wall  and  reach  the  gardens  on  the  other  side.  Vio- 
lette willingly  submitted  to  the  burden  of  Catharine's 
sturdy  limbs,  and  she  lightly  sprang  from  his  bended 
shoulders  to  the  wall  where  she  awaited  him  before 
jumping  down  again. 

Some  moments  later  they  both  found  themselves  in 
the  garden,  and  cautiously  proceeding  towards  the  house, 
keeping  well  within  the  shadows  of  the  trees,  they  pres- 
ently stood  before  the  windows  of  the  brilliantly  lighted 
reception-room. 

XXVI. 

THE    NUPTIAL    MASS. 

THE  Baron  de  Lowendaal  and  the  Marquis  de  Lave- 
line  had  their  final  conference  and  made  their  final 
arrangements.  The  baron  had  imposed  these  condi- 
tions: Blanche  should  become  his  wife  that  night,  and 
they  should  leave  at  once  for  Alsace,  he  would  then  re- 
lease the  marquis  from  his  obligations  and  restore  his 
forfeited  property,  without  speaking  of  some  other  and 
minor  considerations  of  like  character. 

It  was  not  only  the  honor  of  the  marriage  that  at- 


189 


tractecl  M.  de  Laveline,  for  he  greatly  desired  that 
Blanche  should  be  reasonable  and  willingly  consent  to 
respond  to  the  pleadings  of  Lowendaal,  but  it  was  the 
convenience  of  a  restored  and  disembarrassed  estate  that 
likewise  entered  into  his  calculations.  The  baron,  operat- 
ing through  fear  as  he  had  done  in  the  transaction  with 
Leonard,  had  involved  the  marquis  in  a  complicated 
transaction. 

He  had  engaged   with  the   marquis,  who   was  always 


short  of  money,  in  an  operation  that  was  scandalous 
and  filled  with  dangers.  Friend  of  the  Prince  of 
Rohan,  Laveline  had  mixed  himself  up  with  the  affairs 
of  the  diamond  necklace.  He  avoided  public  detection, 
but  the  baron  held  certain  indisputable  proof  of  his  partic- 
ipation in  this  gigantic  fraud,  wherein  the  role  supposed 
to  have  been  played  by  Marie  Antoinette  was  to  be 
most  compromising. 

Could  the  marquis  escape  the  pursuit  of  the  baron  by 
flight  from  France  ?     The  Court  of  Austria  would  hold 


him  as  a  prisoner,  would  deliver  him  up  for  vengeance 
as  a  conspirator  against  the  honor  of  the  queen,  an 
archduchess  of  the  empire. 

Could  he  remain  in  France  ?  Denounced  to  the  revo- 
lutionary government,  his  participation  in  the  affair 
would  inevitably  be  followed  by  punishment. 

He  found  himself  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
baron,  and  as  he  rose  from  his  interview  he  realized 
that  he  stood  between  two  fires,  one  threatening,  the 
other  most  perplexing.  The  one  he  clearly  understood 
to  be  final  as  it  was,  the  other  he  must  test  at  once 
and  to  that  end  he  sought  his  daughter,  whom  he  found 
in  tears,  but  with  her  resolve  to  resist  the  baron  in  no 
way  shaken  and  her  stubbornness  perhaps  more  em- 
phatic than  before. 

Arguments  of  the  most  sensible  and  impressive  char- 
acter the  marquis  employed  to  shake  his  daughter's 
resolution;  pictures  of  her  sumptuous  life  he  drew  in 
skillful  language,  the  indolent  existence  that  would 
be  hers,  the  gratification  of  every  wish,  all  this  he 
sketched  before  her  mental  sight,  but  all  without  avail, 
the  heart  of  Blanche  was  closed  to  sentiment,  her  brain 
was  not  moved  by  reason  and  so  the  marquis  was  finally 
driven  to  his  last  appeal,  the  confession  of  his  criminal 
intrigue  and  the  power  possessed  by  the  baron  in  his 
knowledge  of  the  affair.  The  baron  was  master  of  his 
liberty,  of  his  honor,  of  his  life,  if  Blanche  failed  him  he 
should  die;  would  she  in  a  persistent  refusal  to  this  act 
be  willing  to  accept  the  responsibility  of  parricide  ? 

Blanche  wept  and  trembled  when  she  heard  this  con- 
fession and  the  words  that  followed  it,  nor  could  she 
understand  the  strange  action  of  the  baron  who  showed 
himself,  in  her  sight,  to  be  without  pity,  dignity,  re- 
spect! To  urge  a  marriage  with  one  who  detested  him, 
with  one  who  loved  another,  one  who  had  a  child  born 
of  that  other  love!  Persuaded  that  the  baron  had  re- 
ceived the  letter  sent  by  Leonard,  Blanche  tried  to  calm 


the  alarm  of  her  father,  for  she  felt  that  M.  de  Lowen- 
daal  must  certainly  have  been  touched  by  the  confession 
she  had  made,  evidently  he  had  not  revealed  her  secret 
and  this  indicated  that  he  would  not  abuse  his  power 
over  M.  de  Laveline.  Relying  confidently  upon  the 
continued  objection  of  Blanche  to  the  marriage,  he 
would  seem  to  still  desire  it  so  as  to  deceive  the  mar- 
quis, he  would  probably  never  refer  to  the  fault  she  had 
confessed  and  would  permit  the  full  onus  of  separation 
to  fall  upon  her  refusal  to  marry  him.  Believing  this, 
she  felt  easy  in  her  resolve  and  without  saying  anything 
to  M.  de  Laveline  as  to  the  motive  of  her  action,  she 
repeated  her  determination  never  to  become  the  wife  of 
the  baron. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  shouted  M.  de  Laveline  in  a  rage 
he  made  no  effort  to  control,  and  angered  beyond 
expression  by  the  foolish  resistance  of  his  rebellious  and 
perverse  daughter.  "  I  shall  be  obeyed  and  you  shall 
be  married  this  very  night,  understand,  this  night,  if  I 
have  to  carry  you  to  the  altar  myself." 

After  which  he  left  the  room,  stamping  his  feet  and 
raging  and  sought  the  baron  with  the  assurance  that 
he  might  continue  the  preparations  for  the  ceremony; 
his  daughter  would  be  ready  at  the  appointed  hour. 

Blanche  again  left  to  herself  was  torn  by  the  most 
alarming  uncertainties.  Why  did  the  baron  persist  thus 
in  the  face  of  what  she  had  written  him  ?  Had  he  some 
other  motive  ?  Did  he  really  propose  to  marry  her 
despite  all  ?  She  could  find  no  answer  to  her  own 
doubts,  but  she  felt  that  her  heart  was  strong  and  her 
will  unshaken;  she  would  always  resist  this  union,  the 
very  thought  of  which  filled  her  with  horror.  And  then 
her  mind  went  to  Catharine  and  little  Henriot,  and  her 
wild  wonderings  as  to  the  cause  of  Catharine's  delay. 
She  felt,  if  the  child  were  there,  the  living  evidence  of 
her  other  love,  it  would  affect  the  marquis  and  force  the 
baron  to  abandon  his  singular  position.  She  asked  her- 


I92 

self  whether  Catharine  would  keep  her  promise,  for  as 
hours  flew  by  and  she  came  not,  the  confidence  that 
Blanche  had  felt  gradually  disappeared  and  she  was 
forced  to  the  conviction  that  Catharine  had  proven 
false. 

The  night  had  come  on  rapidly,  darkness  had  settled 
upon  the  earth  and  Blanche  had  strained  her  eyes  peer- 
ing through  the  shadows,  in  vain  efforts  to  discover  a 
weary  woman  tramping  along  the  heavy  road,  hugging 
a  child  to  her  breast.  She  had  left  the  window  when 
the  darkness  with6ut  had  become  impenetrable  and 
she  sat  wrapped  in  the  profoundest  melancholy,  and 
yet  the  lingering  traces  of  womanly  trust  still  played 
with  her  doubts,  she  found  excuses  and  explanations 
for  Catharine's  absence  in  the  swarming  hordes  of 
warriors  in  the  adjacent  country  that  had  driven  her 
from  the  road,  or  prevented  her  leaving  Paris  at  all. 

"  She  will  not  come,"  sobbed  the  unhappy  girl,  "  and 
I  shall  never  again  see  my  child." 

Then,  prostrated  with  the  idea  of  being  forced  into 
this  odious  marriage  or  causing  the  ruin  or  perhaps  the 
death  of  her  father  by  her  refusal,  she  sobbed  and 
sobbed  until  her  eyes  were  swollen.  But  of  a  sud- 
den her  sobs  stopped,  her  tears  were  dried,  her  hands 
clenched  in  her  lap  showed  a  new  resolve  and  again  she 
was  at  the  window. 

Could  she  do  it  ?  The  roads  she  knew,  the  night  was 
dark  and  friendly,  the  presence  of  the  two  armies  was 
favorable;  she  could  pass  through  these  crowds  of  sol- 
diers without  being  noticed;  the  country  was  filled  with 
poor  people  fleeing  before  the  troops.  A  woman  could 
pass  unperceived,  or  at  least  undisturbed.  She  could 
reach  some  distant  city,  Brussels  or  Lille,  and  then  go 
to  Paris,  and  at  Versailles  she  would  find  Catharine  and 
her  little  Henriot.  Her  jewels  and  some  money  she 
still  had;  she  would  write  a  few  lines  to  her  father,  and 
when  she  was  far  from  this  detested  chateau  and  the 


'93 

first  anger  had  passed  over,  the  marquis  would  send  her 
resources  upon  which  to  live. 

Hurriedly  she  made  such  preparations  as  were  neces- 
sary for  her  flight;  in  a  small  hand-bag  she  threw  the 
gems  and  coins  that  were  among  her  possessions;  she 
wrapped  herself  in  a  great  mantle,  and  for  precaution 
against  severity  of  climate  she  took  another  cloak  over 
her  arm  that  she  might  use  if  occasion  required. 

Leaving  the  lights  as  though  she  were  still  in  her 
room,  she  quietly  opened  the  door,  tip-toed  down  the 
stairs,  fled  along  the  corridor  holding  her  breath  in 
fear  that  even  it  might  be  heard,  reached  the  outer 
entrance  and  in  an  instant  found  herself  in  the  open 
air. 

The  night  was  fresh  and  clear,  not  too  dark  so  that 
progress  was  impeded;  she  hurriedly  traversed  the 
intervening  space  and  reached  a  little  clump  of  trees  that 
stood  beneath  the  walls  of  the  park,  and  here  she  felt 
she  was  saved.  She  halted  to  recover  her  strength 
and  to  consider  in  what  direction  she  should  next  move. 
As  she  stood  trembling  in  the  concealment  of  the  trees 
she  saw  two  shadows  fall  across  the  path,  presaging 
two  human  beings  who  certainly  were  close  behind  her. 
Paralyzed  with  fear,  Blanche  shrank  into  the  shadow 
still  further  and  hoped  that,  whoever  it  might  be 
approaching,  would  pass  her  by  without  discovery.  But 
those  who  every  instant  were  coming  nearer  seemed 
to  be  seeking  concealment  themselves,  and  as  they,  too, 
sought  the  protection  of  the  friendly  shadows  Blanche 
was  able  to  make  out  the  tall  figure  of  a  man  and  the 
short,  plump  figure  of  a  woman,  who  wore  a  cloak  that 
extended  only  to  her  waist  and  who  held  her  skirts 
high  above  her  shoes,  that  she  might  pass  the  heavy 
underbrush  without  so  much  as  disturbing  it  into  a 
rustle.  Another  moment  and,  despite  the  effort  of 
Blanche  to  shrink  beyond  the  possibility  of  detection, 
the  two  intruders  came  full  upon  her. 


194     

"  Who  is  it  ?  "  said  a  female  voice. 

"  I  know  that  voice! "  Blanche  said  beneath  her 
breath,  and  then  exclaimed  aloud,  "  Who  are  you  ?  I 
shall  call  for  help!  " 

"Don't  call!  We  are  friends;  we  have  come  hereto 
see  Mademoiselle  Blanche  de  Laveline." 

"That  is  me!  My  God!  Catharine,  is  it  you?  I 
know  your  voice." 

Catharine  surprised  and  delighted  at  the  meeting, 
threw  aside  her  hood  and  told  Violette,  who  had 
meanwhile  given  the  military  salute  to  Blanche,  to  step 
back  that  she  might  say  a  few  words  with  her  new-found 
friend. 

"Where  is  he,  where  is  my  little  Henriot?"  Blanche 
exclaimed  in  a  trembling  voice,  and  not  waiting  for  a 
response  she  asked,  "  But  what  is  this  costume  you 
wear,  you  are  dressed  like  a  cantiniere  ?" 

Catharine  hurriedly  told  her  she  had  become  a 
member  of  the  Thirteenth  Infantry,  and  quieted  her 
alarms  by  assuring  her  that  little  Henriot  was  at  that 
moment  sleeping  peacefully  on  the  comfortable  bed 
provided  for  him  in  the  wagon  and  surrounded  by  an 
armed  guard  nothing  could  vanquish;  and  Blanche, 
with  all  the  maternal  instincts  within  her  aroused,  urged 
that  she  should  be  at  once  conducted  to  her  child. 

Catharine  advised  her  to  remain  at  the  chateau  for 
the  night  at  least,  it  might  be  that  the  next  day  the 
French  would  occupy  the  building  and  then  the  restora- 
tion of  her  child  would  be  a  simple  matter,  but  now  to 
risk  the  dangers  of  the  night  in  travelling  between  two 
hostile  camps  was  needless  and,  indeed,  a  folly 

But  Blanche  ignored  the  protests  of  her  adviser 
and  hurriedly  recited  the  situation  in  the  chateau 
where,  if  she  remained  another  hour,  she  would  be 
eternally  wedded  to  Baron  de  Lowendaal. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  Catharine  said  in  a  puzzled 
wav,  "  how  unfortunate  it  is  that  Lefebvre  is  not  with 


195 

us,  he  could  tell  us  just  what  to  do.  If  that  fool  there 
had  an  idea! "  and  she  indicated  Violette  by  a  nod 
of  her  head,  and  then  turning  to  him  she  asked,  "  Say, 
have  you  got  an  idea  ?  " 

"  If  you  think  well,  Madame  Lefebvre,  I  will  go  back 
to  the  camp  and  bring  the  little  boy  here,"  Violette 
timidly  suggested. 

Catharine  shrugged  her  shoulders  in  disdain. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  could  very  well  carry  a  baby  in 
your  arms,"  she  said. 

"Suppose  I  go  with  you!"  said  Blanche,  "  oh,  -yes, 
Catharine,  let  me  go  with  him." 

"  But  think  of  the  danger!  the  bullets!  the  sentinels!  " 

"  I  fear  nothing.  Is  it  likely  that  a  mother  would 
stop  at  any  danger  to  embrace  her  child?" 

Catharine  felt  that  this  probably  was  the  best  way  of 
satisfying  Blanche  and  at  the  same  time  placing  her 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  baron.  Once  within  the  French 
camp  she  would  be  safe  and  she  could  rest  without 
fear  of  intrusion  in  the  wagon  of  the  cantiniere.  They 
were  turning  to  retrace  their  steps  towards  the  wall, 
over  which  they  could  find  exit  from  the  park,  when  the 
sound  of  voices  coming  through  the  open  door  of  the 
chateau  caused  them  to  hesitate.  A  number  of  servants 
preceding  the  baron  and  bearing  blazing  torches  in  their 
hands,  stepped  upon  the  veranda  and  as  they  looked 
out  over  the  gloomy  lawn  the  baron,  turning  to  his 
valet,  said: 

"  Go  to  Madmoiselle  de  Laveline  and  tell  her  we 
are  ready  for  the  ceremony,  and  that  her  father  and 
myself  await  her  in  the  chapel." 

The  valet  disappeared;  the  baron  and  his  train  crossed 
the  park  and  entered  the  little  chapel  that  stood  at  the 
other  side. 

"  My  God,  I  am  lost,  they  will  discover  my  flight !  " 
said  Blanche. 

"  We  must  gain  time,  but  how  shall  we  do  it?     There 


196 

is  one  chance  and  we  must  take  it,"  Catharine  an- 
swered. 

"  What  is  it?  Speak,  Catharine,  I. am  ready  to  brave 
anything  to  escape  from  the  power  of  that  man,  I  will 
never  go  inside  of  that  chapel. 

"But  if  some  one  should  take  your  place,  it  would 
give  you  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  start,  anyway." 

"A  quarter  of  an  hour  would  be  salvation.  I 
could  get  out  of  the  park  and  I  could  reach  the  open 
country;  I  could  then,  perhaps,  reach  the  advance  posts 
of  the  French.  The  idea  is  good,  but  who  is  there  that 
can  take  my  place  ? " 

"I  will  do  it?"  said  Catharine.  "Go,  there  is  not  a 
second  to  lose;  give  me  your  cloak." 

Lowendaal  had  looked  over  the  interior  of  the  chapel 
and  found  it  to  his  satisfaction;  everything  was  arranged 
as  he  had  directed,  he  stepped  back  upon  the  porch 
looking  for  M.  de  Laveline  and  intending  to  give 
orders  that  the  carriage  might  be  ready  to  take  them 
away.  So  soon  as  the  marriage  was  over,  he  intended 
to  start  with  his  young  bride  at  once  on  the  road  for 
Brussels,  the  proximity  of  the  Austrian  army  and  the 
likelihood  of  an  immediate  conflict  had  influenced  him 
in  setting  an  early  hour  for  the  ceremony  and  for  the 
departure. 

Quickly  Catharine  threw  about  her  the  cloak  that 
Blanche  had  removed,  and  covering  her  head  with  its 
cape  she  passionately  embraced  the  unhappy  Blanche 
and  pushed  her  towards  Violette,  who  seized  her 
hand  and  led  the  way  towards  the  outer  road.  Catha- 
rine followed  them  anxiously  with  her  eyes  until  they 
had  disappeared  in  the  darkness  of  the  night;  they  had 
reached  the  limits  of  the  park  and  in  another  moment 
were  safely  beyond  the  walls. 

"  Poor  little  Henriot,"  said  Catharine  with  emotion, 
"and  Lefebvre  what  will  he  think  if  I  do  not  come  back 
to-night  ?  Bah  !  he  won't  think  anything  of  it." 


I97     

She  turned  towards  the  chateau  and  stood  irresolute 
at  the  entrance  of  the  salon.  Glancing  about  at  the 
servants,  who  were  gathered  in  whispering  groups,  she 
said: 

"Tell  the  baron  that  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  awaits 
him  in  the  chapel." 

Leaving  the  door,  she  walked  slowly  towards  the 
lighted  building  at  the  other  side  of  the  park,  and  as 
she  quietly  entered  the  inviting  portal  and  hesitated 
behind  one  of  the  majestic  pillars  that  supported  the 
decorated  roof,  she  heard  voices  near  her  mingled  in  an 
earnest  conversation.  The  baron  was  saying: 

"You  have  the  order,  Leonard  ?" 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  le  Baron,"  replied  the  man,  "  I  have 
here  in  our  kitchen  one  of  the  messengers  whom  I  induced 
to  come  under  the  promise  of  a  supper,  he  has  en- 
joyed a  drink  and  I  should  judge  that  he  was  troubled 
with  a  tremendous  thirst  because  he  is  sleeping  soundly 
just  now." 

"And  his  papers?" 

"  I  have  them,  nothing  important  excepting  the  order, 
which  I  have  kept." 

"Good!  take  it  quickly  to  the  Austrian  commander," 
saying  which  the  baron  left  the  chapel  and  went  back 
to  the  chateau. 

"What  have  they  said  there?"  Catharine  exclaimed, 
"  what  order  is  it  that  they  have  seized  ?  I  wonder  if 
it  can  be  ours  !  " 

She  hesitated  as  to  what  it  were  best  to  do;  should 
she  remain,  or  should  she  hasten  back  to  the  French 
camp  and  give  the  alarm  ?  But  she  had  promised 
Blanche,  her  benefactress,  to  detain  her  persecutors  and 
to  take  her  part  in  the  chapel.  She  would  hold  to  that, 
and  when  it  was  all  over  there  would  be  plenty  of  time 
to  return  to  the  camp  and  to  tell  Lefebvreof  the  treason 
that  was  being  done. 

She  walked    up    the   aisle   of    the   chapel,   impatient 


the  baron  should  appear  and  yet  wishing  to  delay  the 
discovery  so  long  as  possible  that  Blanche  might  have 
ample  time  to  reach  a  safe  retreat. 

"But,  if  they  should  be  surprised  while  they  are  sleep- 
ing !  But  no,  the  men  of  the  Thirteenth  never  sleep, 
and  even  with  the  order  of  march  stolen,  they  are  lying 
on  their  guns  at  this  moment  and  would  be  ready  even 
for  such  a  surprise." 

Somewhat  reassured  by  this  confident  argument 
with  herself,  she  sank  upon  one  of  the  sofas  that  stood 
at  the  side  of  the  chapel  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
groom. 

A  priest,  fully  dressed  in  his  sacred  robes,  prayed  de- 
voutly at  the  chancel  and  gave  no  attention  to  the 
intruder.  Curiously  she  looked  about  her,  examining 
the  pictures  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross,  the  ornaments 
of  the  tabernacle,  the  little  lamp  that  burned  and  swung 
by  its  long  golden  chain  suspended  to  the  ceiling,  and 
the  four  angels  that  stood  at  either  corner  of  the  altar. 

"  Heavens !  It  looks  as  though  they  were  coming 
here  to  a  funeral  instead  of  to  celebrate  a  marriage  !  " 
Catharine  murmured  to  herself,  impressed  by  the  sad- 
ness of  the  surroundings,  and  then  she  once  more  looked 
about  her  with  a  feeling  of  indifference,  as  though  it 
were  but  for  a  moment  at  the  most.  She  was  inter- 
rupted in  her  idle  thoughts  by  the  door  of  the  chapel 
being  suddenly  opened,  and  the  sound  of  sabres  clank- 
ing on  the  marble  floor,  as  a  detachment  of  Austrian 
soldiers  filed  up  the  aisle.  The  priest,  startled  by  the 
unusual  sound,  turned  and  motioned  to  the  troopers 
not  to  approach  the  altar,  and  then,  in  a  rapid  voice,  he 
began  the  reading  of  his  ritual.  Baron  de  Lowendaal 
entered  a  moment  later,  and  with  his  hat  in  hand,  ap- 
proached Catharine  sitting  at  the  side  of  the  chancel. 

"  I  hope,  mademoiselle,  that  I  shall  have  the  honor 
and  the  very  great  pleasure  of  accompanying  you  to  the 
altar  with  monsieur,  your  father.  I  need  not  say  how 


199     

happy  you  have  made  me,  and  I  well  appreciate  your 
timidity  and  ask  your  pardon  for  the  haste  I  have  been 
forced  to  urge  upon  you.  Will  you  permit  me  to  sit 
beside  you  !  " 

Catharine,  wrapped  securely  in  the  cloak  that  Blanche 
had  given  her,  made  no  response  nor  did  she  move  to 
make  place  for  the  baron  as  he  had  asked.  The  marquis, 
approaching  in  his  turn,  said  to  her: 

"  I  am  glad,  my  dear,  that  I  can  congratulate  you 
upon  having  become  more  reasonable.  But,  Blanche, 
put  aside  your  cloak,  it  is  not  becoming  you  should 
receive  your  husband  thus,  and  don't  you  see  that  you 
have  been  done  the  honor  of  having  as  your  guest  the 
officers  of  General  Clerfayt  ?  They  wish  to  see  you,  they 
wish  to  congratulate  you  upon  this  great  day;  don't  you 
understand  ? " 

When  Catharine  heard  the  name  of  the  Austrian  offi- 
cers, she  gave  an  involuntary  start  that  loosened  the 
mantle  clinging  about  her  and  it  slipped  down  over  her 
shoulders  sufficiently  to  expose  the  tricolor  pinned  to 
her  breast.  Startled  and  surprised  the  marquis  seized 
the  cloak,  and  throwing  it  off  upon  the  floor,  he  cried: 

"  This  is  not  my  daughter  !  " 

"Who  are  you?"  said  the  baron,  half  stupefied. 

The  priest  at  this  moment  turned  towards  the  as- 
sembly, and,  extending  his  arms  in  the  attitude  of  bene- 
diction, he  murmured: 

"  Benedicat  vos,  omnipotens  Deus  !     Dominus  vobiscum  !  " 

And  his  assistant  responded: 

"  Et  cum  spiritu  tuo  !  " 

The  Austrian  officers,  attracted  by  the  loud  voices  of 
the  marquis  and  the  baron,  had  approached  the  group, 
and  as  they  caught  sight  of  Catharine,  one  of  them  ex- 
claimed: "  A  Frenchwoman,  a  cantiniere." 

"Yes,  a  Frenchwoman!"  she  replied,  "Catharine 
Lefebvre,  cantiniere  of  the  Thirteenth.  How  does  that 
strike  you  ?" 


— 200      

And  with  the  words  she  grasped  the  mantle  from  the 
floor,  and  laughing  she  flung  it  across  the  face  of  her 
disappointed  fiance,  and  snapped  her  fingers  in  the  face 
of  the  Austrian  officers;  "do  you  see  this?  This  is  the 
mark  of  the  Thirteenth;  do  you  like  the  number?"  and, 
without  waiting  for  reply,  she  threw  them  aside  with  her 
sturdy  arms  and  ran  to  the  altar  where  she  claimed  the 
protection  of  the  priest  and  of  his  God. 


XXVII. 

THE    DEBT    OF    THE    WOUNDED. 

THE  first  moment  of  surprise  past,  one  of  the  Austrian 
officers  advanced  to  the  chancel  and  placed  his  hand  on 
Catharine's  shoulder: 

"  You  are  my  prisoner,  madame,"  he  said. 

"  Go  on  !  "  Catharine  said;  "  I  am  not  a  fighter,  I  am 
here  on  a  visit,  a  diplomatic  visit." 

"  You  need  not  joke!  You  came  into  the  chateau,  and 
I  have  taken  possession  of  it  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty, 
the  Emperor  of  Austria;  you  are  French;  you  are  on 
Austrian  territory.  I  therefore  arrest  you." 

"  You  arrest  women  now,  do  you  ?  That  is  not  gal- 
lant !  " 

"  You  are  a  cantiniere  !  "    • 

"  Cantinieres  are  not  soldiers." 

"  It  was  not  as  a  soldier  that  you  are  a  prisoner;  it  is 
as  a  spy,"  replied  the  officer,  at  the  same  time  making  a 
signal  to  his  men  with  the  command: 

"  Take  this  woman  to  the  chateau  and  examine  her; 
see  what  she  knows  and  how  much  she  has  learned 
here." 

The  baron,  who  had  disappeared  when  he  discovered 
the  identity  of  Catharine  and  had  gone  to  Blanche's 
apartments  only  to  find  them  deserted,  rushed  into  the 


201       

chapel  crying  loudly  and  appealing  to  every  one  about 
him  for  vengeance. 

"  Gentlemen,  gentlemen  !  "  he  cried  in  a  voice  strang- 
ling with  emotion,  "this  woman  is  the  accomplice  in  a 
foul  crime;  she  has  aided  the  flight  of  Mademoiselle  de 
Laveline,  my  fiance.  Tell  me,  tell  me,  woman,  where  is 
Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  ?"  and  he  came  threateningly 
near  to  the  intrepid  cantiniere. 

Catharine  laughed  in  his  face. 

"  If  you  wish  to  see  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline,"  she 
answered,  "  you  must  desert  the  Austrians  and  go  to 
the  camp  of  the  French — she  awaits  you  there." 

"  At  the  French  camp!     What  is  she  doing  there  ?  " 

The  baron  was  blinded  between  astonishment  and 
rage,  but  the  marquis,  hoping  to  restore  some  of  the 
evils  that  had  thus  far  been  done,  whispered  in  the  ear 
of  the  baron: 

"  Let  me  reassure  you;  it  will  not  be  at  the  French 
camp  that  she  will  see  de  Neipperg,  so  don't  be  jealous." 

"  It  may  be  if  she  has  fled  to  the  French  camp  she  is 
in  love  with  Dumouriez,"  said  the  infuriated  baron. 

"  She  has  gone  to  her  child,"  said  Catharine. 

"  Her  child  !  !  !  "  exclaimed  both  the  marquis  and 
baron. 

"Certainly!  Little  Henriot,  a  pretty  little  cherub;  a 
nicer  little  child  than  you  could  ever  dream  of,  baron," 
replied  Catharine,  laughingly. 

But  Lowendaal  did  not  hear  the  jocular  slur  upon  his 
capacity;  he  was  stupefied  with  the  words  Catharine 
had  uttered  and  he  could  hear  nothing  else. 

Leonard,  who  stood  behind  his  master,  had  an  inter- 
est in  the  disclosure  that  seemed  to  him  as  intense  as 
it  was  to  the  baron.  All  his  projects  were  defeated, 
Blanche  gone;  the  child,  the  baron  aware  of  its  exist- 
ence, would  cease  to  be  a  means  of  intimidation,  a 
menace,  a  perpetual  weapon  that  he  could  constantly 
level  against  the  Baroness  de  Lowendaal.  He  could 


202      

have  no  further  hopes  of  realizing  the  flattering  advan- 
tages he  had  pictured  to  himself  in  the  possession  of 
this  terrible  secret  of  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline. 

He  reflected  quickly  on  the  part  he  was  to  take  in  this 
new  situation.  He  was  a  man  of  brains  and  of  few 
scruples,  this  Leonard;  he  had  no  fear  when  a  profit  was 
in  sight,  and  he  speedily  came  to  a  resolve  as  to  the 
course  that  was  open  to  him  in  this  difficult  affair. 

"  Why  should  not  I,  too,  go  to  the  French  camp?"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  I  can  pass  in;  I  have  the  word  from 
their  messenger.  All  may  not  be  lost  yet  !  " 

Then,  without  attracting  attention,  he  slipped  behind 
the  Austrian  soldiers  and  made  his  way  towards  the 
door  and  the  open  air.  The  officer  who  had  arrested 
Catharine  asked  in  a  low  voice: 

"  Have  you  finished,  baron  ?  Are  there  any  questions 
you  wish  to  ask  the  woman,  any  suggestions  you  have 
to  make  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  none;  only  look  out  for  her,  shoot  her  if  she 
would  escape,"  shouted  the  exasperated  baron  with 
furious  despair  that  was  ludicrous  in  its  antics.  u  Ob- 
tain from  her  all  she  knows  of  Mademoiselle  de  Lave- 
line, and  what  is  the  true  meaning  of  these  mysterious 
words  about  a  child." 

The  officer  with  calm  indifference  responded: 

"We  will  question  her  in  the  salon  of  the  chateau; 
to-morrow  we  will  report  to  you." 

"  To-morrow  the  soldiers  of  the  republic  will  be  here 
and  not  one  of  you  will  be  able  to  report  anything;  you 
will  all  be  dead  or  prisoners,"  Catharine  defiantly  ex- 
claimed. 

"  Take  her  along,"  said  the  officer,  "leave  your  guns 
here  and  carry  her  into  the  chateau;  if  she  resists,  tie 
her!" 

Four  of  his  men  placing  their  muskets  against  the 
rail  that  protected  the  chancel,  advanced  towards  Catha- 
rine to  execute  the  order,  but  the  cantiniere  threw  her- 


203     

self  into  an  attitude  of  resistance  and  pulling  forth  the 
two  pistols  from  her  belt,  she  held,  them,  pointed  to- 
wards the  advancing  soldiers,  and  gave  them  warning 
in  her  shrillest  tones: 

"  Stop,  the  first  to  put  his  hand  on  me  is  a  dead  man! " 
"Advance!    advance!"    ordered   the    officer,  "would 
you  be  repulsed  by  a  woman? " 

The  four  men  had  hesitated  for  a  moment,  when  the 


two  weapons  met  their  eyes,  but  now  under  the  com- 
mand of  their  captain  they  took  a  step  forward,  when 
through  the  deathlike  stillness  of  the  night,  and  the 
uproar  of  the  chapel,  there  swept  the  long  roll  of  drums, 
the  ominous  threatening  roll  that  meant  the  approach 
of  an  enemy. 

"The    French!    the    French!"    shouted   the  baron  in 
terror. 


204     

Panic  seized  the  soldiers,  a  panic  that  was  sudden  and 
irresistible  with  men  and  officers  alike,  the  four  who 
were  advancing  on  Catharine,  thought  nothing  of  their 
guns,  their  sole  concern  was  to  seek  some  seclusion 
where  they  might  be  safe  from  the  avenging  sabres  of 
the  patriots;  on  their  heels  came  the  officers  but  little 
less  alarmed  and  persuaded  that  they  were  surprised  by 
the  advance  guard  of  Dumouriez. 

The  marquis  and  the  baron  had  fled  to  the  chateau 
with  the  first  sound;  the  chapel  was  deserted  save  for 
Catharine  and  the  priest  at  the  altar,  who,  indifferent  to 
all  that  was  going  on,  was  concluding  the  duties  of  his 
sacred  office. 

The  drums  continued  their  threatening  sounds,  com- 
ing nearer  and  nearer,  and  Catharine,  standing  joyous 
and  surprised  at  the  door,  had  her  astonishment  in- 
creased by  the  sudden  appearance  of  Violette,  who 
came  around  the  corner  of  the  building  vigorously 
pounding  the  drum  he  had  captured  earlier  in  the  night 
and  had  worn  slung  over  his  shoulders. 

"  What,  you  here!  where  did  you  come  from?  Where 
is  the  regiment?" 

"  The  regiment  is  in  the  camp,"  said  Violette,  ceasing 
his  noise,  "But  I  have  come  in  good  time,  it  seems, 
Madame  Lefebvre,  and  say,  hadn't  we  better  close  this 
door,  for  I  am  afraid  we  must  take  shelter  inside  the 
chapel  for  awhile!  " 

And  with  all  speed  the  two  amateur  warriors  barri- 
caded the  door  as  best  they  could.  Then  Violette  ex- 
plained to  Catharine  that  he  had  conducted  Blanche 
towards  the  camp  and  on  the  way  had  met  a  patrol 
force  commanded  by  Lefebvre  and  he  had  placed 
Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  under  the  protection  of  two 
of  the  men  and  she  was  at  that  time  safely  inside  the 
lines  of  Dumouriez,  and  no  doubt  pressing  little  Henriot 
to  her  heart.  After  having  done  this,  he  had  left  the 
detachment  of  the  Thirteenth,  and  hurried  back  to  the 


205 

chateau  to  rescue  her.  Surprised  by  the  noise  in  the 
chapel,  he  had  crept  quietly  up  alongside  the  building, 
and  lifting  himself  so  he  could  look  in  the  window,  he 
had  witnessed  all  that  took  place  and  realized  the  dan- 
ger that  threatened  his  captain's  wife.  It  was  then  the 
idea  came  to  him  to  frighten  the  Germans  by  the  roll  of 
the  drum  that  they  would  mistake  for  the  approach  of 
the  French. 

"  You  see,  Madame  Lefebvre,  how  useful  we  have 
found  old  Guillaumet's  drum;  what  do  you  think?  I 
will  make  a  famous  drum-major,  won't  I?" 

"  Where  is  my  husband  ?  Where  did  you  leave  him  ?  " 

"  Not  two  hundred  yards  away,  waiting  down  here  in 
the  bushes  if  he  is  required." 

"  And  what  is  the  signal  ? " 

"A  pistol  shot." 

"  Listen,  what's  that,  it  sounds  like  the  tramp  of 
horses  !  " 

They  put  their  ears  against  the  door  and  they  heard 
a  confused  sound  without,  the  clanking  of  sabres,  the 
heavy  tread  of  horses,  and  the  rattling  of  spurs  and 
accoutrements  that  indicated  the  arrival  of  cavalry,  the 
coming  of  the  Austrians. 

"Shall  I  fire,  Mademoiselle  Lefebvre?"  asked  Vio- 
lette,  seizing  one  of  the  muskets  from  the  altar  rail. 

"  Not  yet;  we  have  plenty  of  time,  we  have  ammuni- 
tion there  to  give  four  signals.  Don't  fire  !  " 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  the  Austrians  are  reinforced;  you  would 
draw  Lefebvre  and  our  men  into  an  ambuscade.  We 
two  can  get  out  of  this  somehow;  we  must  use  our 
wits." 

"  Command  me,  madame,  I  will  obey  !  " 

Their  further  plans  were  interrupted  by  a  violent 
pounding  on  the  panels  of  the  door,  and  a  loud  voice 
exclaiming: 

41  Open,  or  we  will  break  in  the  door  !  " 


2O6 


ftv 


Violette  at  the  direction  of  Catharine,  who  realized 
there  was  no  advantage  in  persisting  in  a  resistance  that 
could  be  so  readily  overcome,  removed  the  barriers  and 
threw  back  the  heavy  portals  revealing  a  throng  of 

cavalrymen  and  foot  sol- 
diers, all  brought  into  heavy 
shadow  by  the  darkness,  but 
among  the  mass  the  glitter 
of  naked  swords  the  scintil- 
lation of  helmets,  the  glisten 
of  sharp  bayonets. 

Catharine  and  Violette 
stood  defiantly  at  the  altar 
awaiting  with  breathless  an- 
xiety the  next  move  of  their 
overwhelming  foe,  and  the 
two  opposing  forces,  so  ter- 
ribly unequal,  were  kept 
apart  only  by  the  towering 
figure  of  the  black-robed 
priest,  who  had  been  aroused 
by  the  armed  invasion  of  his 
sanctuary  and  now  stood 
with  arms  extended  towards 
the  crucifix,  with  warning 
gesture  against  the  despoil- 
ers  of  this  inviolate  spot. 

But  such  interruption  was 
but  momentary,  and  the 
first  to  break  through  the 
barriers  of  superstition  was 
the  officer  who  had  arrested 
Catharine,  and  who  had  been  humiliated  by  the  retreat 
his  cowardice  had  prompted  at  the  sound  of  the  drums, 
and  now  called  for  his  revenge.  He  addressed  an  offi- 
cer, who  stood  alongside  the  door  and  was  wrapped  in 
a  rich  cloak  embroidered  in  gold: 


207     

"Colonel,  are  we  to  shoot  that  man  and  woman?"  he 
asked. 

"Why  the  woman  ?"  replied  the  officer. 

"  They  are  both  spies,  colonel.  We  have  received  our 
orders." 

"  Have  you  learned  who  they  are,  their  names  ?  Get 
this  information  first  and  then  we  can  better  decide." 

"  I  demand  that  we  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  war," 
said  Catharine  heatedly,  taking  a  few  steps  forward. 

"  The  battle  has  not  begun,"  answered  the  officer. 

"Yes  it  has,  by  us.  I  am  the  advance  guard  and  this 
boy  is  the  first  column,"  Catharine  replied.  "  You  have 
no  authority  to  shoot  us,  because  we  surrender.  I  warn 
you,  if  you  commit  this  murder,  we  shall  be  terribly 
avenged;  the  men  of  the  Thirteenth  will  exact  a  pay- 
ment for  our  deaths  that  will  leave  no  man  of  you  alive. 
They  are  near  here,  only  a  few  yards  away  !  Remember 
the  Mill  of  Valmy  !  My  husband,  who  is  captain  in  the 
Thirteenth,  will  follow.his  vengeance  through  your  whole 
army.  And  I  am  Catharine  Lefebvre  !  " 

The  colonel  gave  an  involuntary  start,  and  then  com- 
ing forward  several  paces,  and  apparently  seeking  to  have 
a  better  glimpse  of  the  courageous  woman,  he  said  with 
marked  politeness:  "Madame,  do  you  know  of  a  Le- 
febvre who  served  in  the  Paris  Guards,  and  who  married 
a  washerwoman — called  Madame  Sans-Gene?" 

"The  washerwoman,  Madame  Sans-Gene,  is  me;  Le- 
febvre, Captain  Lefebvre,  is  my  husband." 

The  officer,  filled  with  a  lively  emotion,  came  nearer 
to  Catharine  and,  throwing  back  his  mantle  and  looking 
her  in  the  face,  said: 

"  Don't  you  recognize  me  !  " 

Catharine  recoiled  a  step,  saying: 

"  Your  voice,  your  face,  colonel,  seems  familiar  to  me; 
I  see  you,  but  it  is  as  in  the  midst  of  a  cloud." 

"  A  cloud  made  by  the  smoke  of  cannons,  Have  you 
forgotten  the  loth  of  August  ?  " 


208 

"The  loth  of  August!  It  is  you,  then,  the  wounded 
officer,  the  wounded  Austrian  officer  !  "  Catharine  ex- 
claimed. 

"Yes,  it  is;  it  is  the  Comte  de  Neipperg,  whom  you 
have  saved,  and  who  you  have  placed  under  an  eternal 
obligation.  Let  me  embrace  you,  for  it  is  to  you  I  owe 
my  life  !  "  And  he  advanced  with  open  arms  and  an 
expression  of  manly  gratitude  lighting  up  his  face,  but 
Catharine  again  repelled  his  friendly  overtures  and 
stepped  lightly  beyond  his  reach. 

"I  remember  you  well,  my  colonel,"  she  said,  "and 
what  I  did  for  you  was  inspired  by  humanity;  you  were 
unarmed,  wounded,  and  pursued;  I  protected  you  with- 
out asking  under  what  flag  you  had  received  your 
wound,  without  caring  on  which  side  you  had  fought. 
To-day  I  find  you  wearing  the  uniform  of  the  enemies 
of  my  nation,  commanding  soldiers  that  are  invading 
my  country.  I  don't  want  to  recall  what  happened  in 
Paris;  my  friends,  the  soldiers  of  my  regiment,  my  hus- 
band, this  brave  boy  here  a  prisoner  beside  me,  all  these 
patriots  would  reproach  me  for  having  preserved  the 
life  of  an  aristocrat,  of  an  Austrian,  of  a  colonel  who 
would  shoot  his  prisoners.  Monsieur  le  Comte,  do  not 
speak  of  the  loth  of  August.  I  am  not  proud  to  think 
that  I  have  saved  an  enemy  of  my  people." 

Neipperg  heard  Catharine  through  without  inter- 
ruption, and  her  energetic  words  affected  him  deeply. 

"  Catharine,  my  benefactress,"  he  replied,  "  do  not 
reproach  me  for  serving  my  country  as  you  serve  yours. 
As  your  brave  husband  defends  his  flag,  so  do  I  battle 
for  mine;  destiny  separates  us  and  we  dwell  beneath  a 
different  sky,  but  great  perils  throw  us  together.  Do  not 
sadden  me  with  your  reproaches  and  your  hostility;  if 
you  forget  the  loth  of  August,  I  cannot;  I  treasure  its 
memory,  and  I,  the  colonel  of  the  etat-major  in  the  vic- 
torious Imperial  army  " 

"  Not  yet  victorious,"  Catharine  interrupted. 


2og     

"But  to  be  to-morrow,"  Neipperg  continued.  "A 
colonel  of  the  Empire  who  is  in  command  here  has  not 
forgotten,  and  he  owes  it  to  himself  to  repay  the  debt 
he  contracted  in  the  fight  before  the  Tuileries.  Cath- 
arine Lefebvre,  you  are  free  !  " 

"  Thanks  !  "  she  simply  said  ;  "  but  how  about  Vio- 
lette?" 

"  That  man  is  a  soldier;  he  came  here  improperly;  he 
must  suffer  the  penalty  of  a  spy," 

"Then  you  must  shoot  me  with  him.  It  will  never 
be  said  in  our  camp  that  Catharine  Lefebvre,  cantiniere 
of  the  Thirteenth,  deserted  a  brave  boy  whom  she  had 
led  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  We  are  ready,  colonel; 
give  your  order,  and  have  it  done  speedily,  I  don't  want 
to  think  too  much  of  it,  for  it  is  not  pleasant  to  feel  a 
dozen  bullets  in  one's  skin  when  one  is  young,  and  when 
one  loves  her  hus'band.  Oh,  well!  It  is  war  !  " 

"Pardon,  excuse  me,  colonel,"  said  Violette,  •'  you 
cannot  do  better  than  to  shoot  me  alone.  I  deserve  it, 
but  she  doesn't.  Really,  on  my  word,  colonel,  Madame 
Lefebvre  was  here,  but  I  came  on  a  little  business." 

"  For  what  ?  What  were  you  looking  for  in  this 
house  ?  "  the  colonel  demanded. 

"  Well,  I  had  to  come  here;  I  came  to  bring  a  baby 
I  suppose,  I  may  be  said  to  have  come  as  a  nurse  " 

"  A  baby  ?  "  exclaimed  Neipperg,  looking  at  Catharine. 
"  You  brought  a  baby  here  ?  What  baby  ?  Whose 
baby  ? " 

"  Your  baby,  Monsieur  le  Comte,"  answered  Catharine. 
"  I  promised  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  to  bring  her  son 
here,  to  Jemmapes" 

"  And  you  have  risked  your  life  to  doit  !  Brave,  noble 
woman!  But  tell  me,  where  is  the  child  ?  My  child  ?  " 

"  In  safety  and  in  the  French  camp  with  his  mother." 

"And  then  Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  is  not  here! 
How  do  you  know?" 

"She  has  fled,  fled  at  the   moment   when   her  father 


would  have  forced  her  to  marry  the  Baron  de  Lowen- 
daal." 

"  Then  I  should  have  arrived  too  late  to  save  her,  and 
without  you  " 

"Without  Violette,  colonel;  it  was  he  who  did  it." 

"  Go,  you  have  your  freedom  also,  Violette,"  said 
Neipperg  joyously.  "  Catharine,  you  are  free,  I  repeat 
it,  go  with  your  comrade.  I  will  send  two  guards  with 
you  to  take  you  in  safety  beyond  the  outposts." 

And  giving  his  orders  to  this  effect,  he  said  to  Catha- 
rine: 

"  You  will  see  Blanche  ;  tell  her  I  love  her  and  I 
am  waiting  for  her;  tell  her  that  after  the  battle  I  will 
join  her  on  the  road  to  Paris." 

"  Or  the  road  to  Brussels,  Monsieur  le  Comte,"  Catha- 
rine interrupted,  but  Neipperg  gave  no  attention  to  the 
sarcastic  rejoinder,  merely  raising  his  hand  to  his  hat 
and  continuing: 

"  Profit  by  the  last  hours  of  the  night  to  reach  your 
camp,  and  believe  me,  my  dear  Madame  Lefebvre, 
I  have  not  by  any  means  repaid  the  great  debt  I  owe 
you;  I  shall  always  be  indebted  to  you.  Perhaps  the 
fortunes  of  war  may  furnish  me  with  another  occasion 
when  I  may  prove  to  you  that  the  Comte  de  Neipperg 
is  not  ungrateful." 

"Bah,"  said  Catharine;  "we  are  quits,  Monsieur  le 
Comte,  for  that  affair  of  the  tenth  of  August,  but,  per- 
haps, you  can  some  time  do  a  good  turn  for  the  boy 
there.  Adieu,  my  colonel,  adieu.  Here,  Violette,  right 
file,  quick  step,  en  avant,  march!  " 

The  two  passed  down  the  line  of  the  Austrian  sol- 
diers, Violette  with  all  his  boyish  dignity,  and  Catha- 
rine, her  fists  on  her  hips,  her  coquettish  cap  with  its 
tricolor  cocard  on  the  side  of  her  head,  a  smile  of 
defiance  on  her  lips.  When  they  'reached  the  door  of 
the  chapel,  Catharine  wheeled  about  until  she  faced  the 
crowded  room  and  giving  a  military  salute,  she  said: 


"  Adieu,  gentlemen,  I  shall  return  in  the  morning  with 
Lefebvre  and  the  volunteers." 

XXVIII. 

BEFORE    THE    BATTLE. 

NEIPPERG  watched  after  Catharine  until  she  had  been 
lost  in  the  little  grove  near  the  walls,  but  his  thoughts 
were  with  Blanche  and  he  asked  himself  how  it  could 
be  possible  that  between  two  armies  preparing  for 
battle,  a  young  woman  with  a  baby  could  pass  through 
the  lines  without  serious  risk.  Happily,  he  was  assured 
that  the  plan  for  marriage  arranged  by  Lowendaal  and- 
the  marquis  had  not  been  carried  out  and  as  Blanche 
was  still  free  she  should  now  be  his. 

He  sought  the  baron  and  the  marquis,  but  they  had 
disappeared;  a  sentry  he  questioned  told  him  they  had 
entered  their  carriage  with  an  attendant  and  had  taken 
the  road  leading  to  Brussels. 

Then  he  dismissed  these  disagreeable  subjects  from 
his  mind  and  his  thoughts  traveled  back  to  Blanche. 
He  pictured  her  happy  with  her  little  Henriot  lying  be- 
side her,  he  rejoiced  at  the  glorious  reunion,  and  he  felt 
what  a  flood  of  contentment  would  be  his  if  he  could 
see  her  and  know  that  she  were  safe.  Then  a  shadow 
fell  across  the  vision:  how  should  he  rejoin  Blanche? 
How  could  he  find  her  and  the  child?  The  battle  would 
shortly  begin,  he  would  have  no  power  to  cross  the 
lines,  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  enter  the  French 
camp  even  as  an  envoy,  and  at  the  hour  when  the  sun 
would  first  light  up  the  heavens  Jemmapes  and  Mons 
would  be  surrounded  by  the  flame  of  cannons. 

He  could  not  fail  to  foretell  the  result  of  the  day. 
Victory  would  unquestionably  come  to  the  old  troops, 
the  veterans,  the  disciplined  ranks  of  the  Imperial  army. 
The  shoemakers,  the  tailors,  the  haberdashers  who  com- 


posed  the  republican  army  could  not  hope  to  fight 
against  the  trained  soldiers  of  the  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Teschen.  The  duke  had  already  dispatched  a  courier 
to  Vienna  announcing  the  defeat  of  the  republican 
rabble. 

But  in  the  inevitable  defeat  of  the  French  what  was 
to  become  of  Blanche  and  the  baby  ?  The  thought 
occasioned  the  keenest  anguish  to  Neipperg;  the  very 
suspicion  of  the  dangers  that  would  follow  the  rout 
and  the  disruption  of  this  improvised  army,  incapable 
of  managing  a  retreat,  entirely  without  the  rules  of 
military  art.  He  searched  through  his  mind  vainly  for 
means  to  preserve  the  two  beings  who  were  so  dear  to 
him  and  he  pictured  them  as  victims  of  a  panic-stricken 
rabble.  He  was  thinking  thus  when  a  slight  disturbance 
outside  caused  some  of  the  officers  to  hastily  leave  the 
salon  and  prompted  Neipperg  to  inquire  the  cause  of 
the  tumult. 

The  return  of  the  officers  told  him  a  woman  had 
been  seized  by  the  sentries  as  she  was  trying  to  gain 
entrance  to  the  house,  and  at  that  moment  was  in  cus- 
tody, despite  her  assertions,  which  they  did  not  believe, 
that  she  was  a  daughter  of  Marquis  de  Laveline  and 
desired  to  be  admitted  to  her  father,  who  was  just  then 
a  guest  of  the  Baron  de  Lowendaal. 

The  words  produced  a  surprise  as  great  to  the  offi- 
cers as  to  the  Comte,  for  no  sooner  were  they  uttered 
than  Neipperg  leapt  to  his  feet  and  started  for  the  door, 
while  through  his  mind  ran  the  puzzling  thought  what 
it  could  mean,  what  was  the  significance  of  her  return 
after  Catharine  had  assured  him  Blanche  was  safely 
inside  the  French  lines?  What  new  unhappiness  had 
driven  her  forth  to  brave  the  perils  of  the  stragglers 
from  both  armies?  But  all  these  conjectures  would  be 
quickly  answered,  for  it  was  indeed  Blanche  that  Neip- 
perg saw  before  him,  her  dress  soiled  by  the  muddy 
roads  and  torn  by  the  thorns  and  shrubs,  her  manner 


213 

excited  and  auxious,  her  face  giving  evidence  of  tears 
and  suffering. 

Neipperg,  forgetting  dignity  or  restraint,  clasped 
Blanche  passionately  to  his  breast  and  asked  her  the 
reason  of  her  return.  Despite  the  evils  of  the  approach- 
ing battle  and  the  terrors  of  this  night,  the  presence  of 
Blanche  drove  all  other  thoughts  from  Neipperg's 
mind;  she  came  like  a  sunburst  into  his  surroundings. 
Then  she  told  him  of  her  flight,  which  he  had  already 
learned  from  Catharine,  and  of  her  arrival  in  the  camp 
of  the  republicans  escorted  by  the  soldiers  of  Captain 
Lefebvre. 

Following  the  directions  Catharine  had  given  her, 
she  went  directly  to  the  canteen  wagon  of  the  Thir- 
teenth. There,  in  the  wagon,  she  had  found  a  child, 
rolled  in  its  coverings  and  sleeping  soundly  on  a  mat- 
tress, and  then  beside  this  she  found  another  mattress 
with  the  clothes  thrown  carelessly  away  from  it  as 
though  some  one  had  just  arizen.  She  bent  over  the 
sleeping  infant,  and  the  maternal  lips  were  pressed 
against  the  forehead  of  the  child.  The  kiss  awakened 
the  sleeper,  and,  sitting  up  in  the  bed,  Blanche  saw  a  dear 
little  girl,  with  long  yellow  ringlets  and  great  staring 
eyes  full  of  surprise,  and  asking  mutely  what  it  all 
meant.  Blanche,  seeing  her  mistake,  asked  anxiously: 
"  Where  is  my  child  ?  Where  is  little  Henriot  ?  " 
The  little  girl  rubbed  her  eyes  and  answered: 
"Isn't  Henriot  there?  Has  he  gone  to  see  them  fire 
off  the  cannons  ?  The  naughty  boy,  why  didn't  he  wake 
me  up  ? " 

A  soldier,  who  accompanied  Blanche  and  held  a  lan- 
tern while  she  picked  her  way  along,  recalled  the  pres- 
ence of  a  strange  man  in  the  camp  and  explained  that 
he  had  seen  the  fellow,  dressed  in  civilian  clothes,  going 
towards  Maubeuge  carrying  a  sleeping  infant  in  his 
arms.  At  this  information  Blanche  cried  in  agony  and 
fell  unconscious  to  the  ground,  while  the  soldier,  alarmed 


214     

by  the  incident  he  could  not  understand,  summoned 
two  comrades  and  they  carried  the  fainting  woman  to 
the  doctor's  tent  where  she  quickly  opened  her  eyes 
and  called  for  her  child;  she  asked  them  to  aid  her  in 
pursuing  the  man  who  had  stolen  the  baby,  and  she 
attempted  to  rise  that  she  might  follow  him  at  once. 

"I  feel  deeply  for  you,  madame,"  said  the  major's 
aide  who  was  present,  "  but  it  would  be  difficult  for 
you  to  take  the  road  the  soldier  says  the  man  has 
gone  over,  it  is  encumbered  with  wagons,  cannon, 
troops" 

"  I  want  my  child,"  repeated  the  unhappy  mother. 
"  Why  has  that  man  taken  him  ?  Who  could  have  done 
such  a  deed  ?" 

The  major's  aide,  Marcel,  replied  as  best  he  could  to 
the  nervous  questions  of  the  distracted  Blanche  and 
endeavored  in  every  way  to  quiet  and  comfort  her.  The 
sergeant  joined  them  and  whispered  something  to  Marcel, 
who  thereupon  said: 

"  Madame,  I  have  some  information  that  may  enable 
me  to  trace  this  rascal,  who  came  into  camp  and  took 
your  child,  he  got  into  the  camp  by  treason,  I  believe." 

"Oh,  tell  me  you  will  save  him,  sergeant,"  and 
Blanche  clung  to  the  arm  of  the  sergeant  with  renewed 
hope. 

"  Speak,  Rene,"  said  the  major's  aide,  and  in  response 
the  pretty  sergeant  told  how,  just  outside  the  camp,  she 
met  the  man  she  had  known  at  Verdun,  the  man  she 
had  met  on  the  night  of  the  murder  of  Beaurepaire, 
and  who  she  recognized  as  Lowendaal's  servant,  the  man 
Leonard. 

"Leonard!  Monsieur  de  Lowendaal's  valet?"  ex- 
claimed Blanche,  and  she  at  once  saw  in  her  mind  the 
plan  had  been  worked  at  the  instigation  of  the  baron; 
he  had  sent  Leonard  to  steal  the  child  so  soon  as  her 
flight  had  been  discovered,  and  Henriot  would  be  held 
by  the  baron  as  a  hostage.  With  the  idea  that  the 


/>  T  ^ . 

"5 

child  would  be  taken  to  the  chateau  and  she  would  find 
him  with  Lowendaal,  Blanche  had  again  incurred  the 
risk  of  the  night  and  returned.  Her  joy  at  finding 
Neipperg  in  the  chateau  was  increased  by  the  absence 
of  her  father  and  the  baron,  for  she  felt  that  some  active 
methods  were  now  necessary  and  she  could  not  take 
them  unaided.  Without  doubt  Leonard  had  joined  the 
baron  at  some  place  that  could  only  be  conjectured, 
particularly  as  none  knew  in  what  direction  he  had  gone 
after  leaving  the  road  where  Rene  saw  him.  Neipperg 
knew  that  the  baron  and  the  marquis  had  taken  the 
route  to  Brussels. 

"  We  will  find  them  to-morrow,"  he  said  to  reassure 
Blanche. 

"Why  can't  we  start  to-night?"  said  Blanche  im- 
patiently. "  To-morrow  we  shall  be  at  Brussels." 

"To-morrow,  my  dear  wife,"  Neipperg  replied,  "we 
fight.  When  we  have  the  French  in  full  retreat,  I  will 
then  make  it  my  business  to  pursue  the  wretch  who  has 
stolen  our  child,  but  my  devotion  as  a  soldier  must  be 
considered  before  my  anguish  as  a  father." 

"  I  will  wait  then,"  answered  Blanche  with  a  sob. 
"Oh,  this  night,  this  interminable  day." 

"Blanche,"  said  Neipperg  with  sudden  gravity,  "what 
shall  you  do  here,  the  only  woman  in  the  midst  of  an 
army  preparing  for  battle  ?  I  cannot  be  with  you  con- 
stantly, and  my  protection  must,  from  the  existing  con- 
ditions, be  discreet,  reserved.  I  have  no  rights  that  en- 
title me  to  demand  protection  for  you  any  more  than 
might  be  demanded  for  any  defenseless  woman  by  our 
general,  our  prince,  or  our  common  soldiers.  Blanche, 
don't  you  understand  me?" 

Mademoiselle  de  Laveline  blushed  and  looked  to  the 
ground,  but  made  no  response.  Neipperg  continued: 

"  If  after  the  battle  we  rejoin  your  father  and  Mon- 
sieur de  Lowendaal,  you  will  be  again  under  their  au- 
thority." 


2l6 

"I  shall  resist  them — I  shall  protect  myself." 

"  They  will  dominate  you  through  your  child;  they 
hold  him.  Despite  the  fact  he  is  my  boy,  what  right 
can  I  invoke  to  claim  the  baby,  to  compel  them  to  give 
him  up  ?  Blanche,  there  is  but  one  way  out  of  the  diffi- 
culty !  " 

"  What  would  you  to  have  me  do  ?  " 

"  Give  me  the  right  that  will  permit  me  to  speak  in 
your  name  and  in  my  own  ! " 

"  Do  as  you  think  best !  " 

"  We  must  not  separate,  the  chances  of  war  may  part 
us  so  we  may  never  be  reunited.  You  must  be  my  wife. 
Do  you  consent  ?  All  has  been  prepared  for  a  marriage, 
the  priest  is  at  the  altar,  the  notary  is  with  his  papers  in 
the  chateau,  he  can  readily  change  the  names  for  which 
he  has  drawn  his  documents.  Come,  Blanche,  come, 
make  me  the  happiest  of  men  ! " 

Her  only  response  was  to  open  her  arms  to  the  comte, 
and  an  hour  later  in  the  chapel  where  Catharine  Lefebvre 
had  played  the  part  of  a  bride,  Blanche  de  Laveline  be- 
came the  Comtesse  de  Neipperg. 

As  the  last  words  that  made  two  hearts  one  fell  from 
the  lips  of  the  priest,  the  distant  roll  of  musketry  was 
heard  and  the  echoes  of  the  trumpet  and  the  drum,  and 
to  this  accompaniment  Neipperg  led  Blanche  from  the 
building  towards  the  group  of  officers  in  the  park, 
saying: 

"  Gentlemen,  permit  me  to  introduce  my  wife,  Com- 
tesse de  Neipperg." 

They  bowed  to  the  ground  in  their  congratulations; 
they  wished  the  newly  wedded  couple  a  thousand  joys, 
and  felt  every  prosperity  must  come  to  a  union 
upon  so  delightful  a  morning,  the  morning  of  a  great 
battle,  of  a  great  victory,  in  a  chapel  that  was  so  soon  to 
be  a  fortress  where  the  formidable  rumble  of  cannon 
was  to  drown  the  alleluia  of  the  bells. 


2I7 

XXIX. 

THE    VICTORY   OF   SONG. 

IT  was  a  brilliant  and  memorable  scene,  this  morning 
of  the  6th  of  November,  1792;  on  the  heights  of  Jem- 
mapes  a  pale,  gray  light  spread  over  the  country  and 
disclosed  long  ranks  of  armed  men,  stretching  along 
the  hills  and  plains.  The  great  masses  of  Austrians, 
Hungarians,  and  Prussians,  wearing  their  showy  uni- 
forms, the  furred  cloaks  of  the  hussars,  the  tall  hats  of 
the  grenadiers,  the  half-conical  shakos  of  the  infantry, 
the  lances,  the  curved  sabres  of  the  cavalry,  all  spark- 
ling and  moving  through  the  dim  light;  lower  down  on 
the  hills  the  quickly  constructed  redoubts,  the  fences 
to  impede  cavalry,  the  hiding-places  for  the  incomparable 
Tyrolean  sharpshooters  with  their  pointed  hats  and  a 
long  heron  feather  stuck  through  the  ribbon. 

The  artillery,  ambushed  at  the  right  and  left  in  the 
concealment  of  the  wooded  land,  showed  only  when 
here  and  there  the  long  bronze  barrel  extended  beyond 
the  sheltering  shrubbery.  The  position  of  the  Austrians 
was  formidable,  their  right  rested  on  the  village  of  Jem- 
mapes  and  their  left  on  Valenciennes.  On  three  sides 
were  forests,  and  the  centre  amphitheatre  was  protected 
by  three  rows  of  redoubts  and  twenty  pieces  of  heavy 
artillery  and  three  pieces  of  light  artillery  to  each  bat- 
talion, making  a  total  of  nearly  one  hundred  cannon. 

The  advantage  of  the  position,  the  incontestable 
superiority  of  the  army,  the  improved  munitions,  com- 
manded by  such  experienced  generals  as  Clerfayt  and 
Beaulieu,  the  power  of  the  well-placed  artillery  standing 
above  the  enemy  upon  whose  advancing  forces  it  could 
pour  a  murderous  fire,  gave  to  the  generals  of  the  Em- 
pire a  feeling  of  certain  victory. 

The  Austrian  army,  well  fed,  stood  on  high,  dry 
ground  with  its  entire  front  admirably  protected,  when 


21g     

with  the  first  shafts  of  a  rising  sun  the  cannon  boomed 
and  began  one  of  the  most  important  battles  of  history. 

The  French  had  lain  all  night  in  marshy  ground  that 
had  been  worked  into  a  mushy  consistency  by  the  feet 
of  the  horses  and  the  wheels  of  the  caissons.  They  were 
hungry  and  they  had  no  opportunity  to  eat  until  they 
reached  Mons  after  the  battle.  Their  stomachs  were 
empty  but  their  hearts  were  full  of  hope  and  their 
officers  told  them  they  must  win  their  breakfast  with 
their  victory. 

When  the  first  cannon  roared  it  was  a  signal  for  ad- 
vance and.  along  the  miles  of  men  every  band  struck  up 
the  sublime  strains  of  the  Marseillaise,  and  fifty  thou- 
sand voices  to  the  rhythm  of  the  guns  and  the  horns  sang 
the  martial  words  of  that  noble  hymn.  And  the  echoes 
from  Jemmapes,  from  Cuesmes,  from  Berthaimont  car- 
ried to  the  waiting  Austrians  the  grand  defiance  of 
those  heroic  words,  "  To  arms,  to  arms,  citizens.  Form 
your  battalions." 

It  was  more  than  an  army  in  those  ranks,  it  was  a 
nation  come  to  the  defense  of  its  soil,  to  the  salvation 
of  its  liberties.  Old  methods  were  abandoned  in  this 
charge,  as  the  sea  swept  over  the  dykes  so  France  threw 
her  sea  of  men  to  the  assault  of  these  heights,  it  was  an 
inundation  of  bayonets  and  cannon-balls.  From  a  dis- 
tance the  French  artillery  destroyed  the  Austrian  de- 
fenses and  then  the  white  army,  the  volunteers,  the 
guards,  the  countrymen  and  the  laborers  of  yesterday 
clambered  over  the  opposing  cannon,  put  the  artillery- 
men to  the  sword,  broke  the  squares  of  infantry,  checked 
the  cavalry. 

The  tried  ranks  of  the  Imperial  cohorts,  the  veterans 
of  the  wars  of  a  dynasty,  were  cut  down,  dispersed, 
annihilated  by  these  untried  heroes,  these  sons  of  France 
who  wore  the  costume  of  the  artisan,  whose  hands  for 
the  first  time  grasped  a  musket.  General  D'Harville 
commanded  the  left  and  with  old  General  Ferrand, 


219       "' 

charged  on  Jemmapes  and  entered  the  place  victoriously 
at  noon.  Beurnonville  attacked  at  the  right.  Under  his 
orders  Dampierre  commanded  the  Parisian  volunteers, 
and  to  these  children  of  the  Paris  boulevards  and  fau- 
bourgs belongs  the  honor  of  carrying  the  three  re- 
doubts. 

They  sang  the  Marseillaise  and  the  Carmagnole  as 
they  swarmed  over  the  last  fortifications  of  the  Aus- 
trians.  The  troops  of  the  line,  the  Thirteenth  Volunteers 
with  Lefebvre,  the  cavalry  and  hussars  from  Berclung 
and  Chamborand  contributed  equally  to  this  decisive 
victory,  which  preserved  France  from  invasion,  delivered 
Belgium,  routed  the  Germans  and  gave  to  the  republic 
its  baptism  of  glory. 

******* 

After  the  battle  the  victors  ate  their  supper  in  the 
house  of  the  vanquished.  The  hour  for  breakfast  and 
for  dinner  had  passed;  the  refreshment  for  the  entire 
day  was  taken  in  the  evening.  A  major-aide  with  his 
coat  soaked  in  blood  from  a  wound  in  the  arm,  was 
drinking  a  quiet  toast  to  further  successes,  when  a  sol- 
dier, lying  near,  said. 

"Do  you  know  what  we  found  in  the  chateau  down 
below  there  where  the  Austrian  headquarters  were  ?  " 

"  What  ? " 

"A  baby." 

"  What  do  you  say  ?  A  baby  !  "  exclaimed  Rene  who 
approached  at  the  moment.  "  What  did  you  do  with 
it?" 

"  Left  it." 

"  You  had  the  heart  to  leave  a  baby  exposed  to  the  shot 
of  a  battle  !  Surely  that  is  not  the  act  of  a  French  sol- 
dier !  "  Rene  said  excitedly. 

"You  know,  sergeant,"  the  man  continued,  "  we  were 
ordered  to  advance.  We,  my  companion  and  myself, 
went  into  the  chateau,  which  was  deserted,  we  feared  it 
might  be  an  ambuscade,  so  we  went  in  very  quietly  " 


22O 

"  That  was  wise,"  said  the  major-aide. 

"  We  crept  around  carefully;  we  found  nothing,  and 
then  went  down  to  the  cellar,  there  we  heard  a  cry,  an 
indistinct  cry.  We  forced  open  the  door,  and  what  do 
you  think  we  found  ?  A  man  who,  as  soon  as  he  saw  us, 
said:  'Save  me,  gentlemen,  I  am  Leonard.'  And  the 
child  was  there  too,  and  we  took  them  both  upstairs." 

"  Leonard  !  You  have  found  that  traitor,"  said  a 
voice,  and  Catharine  Lefebvre  stepped  forward,  having 
entered  just  at  the  moment  when  the  soldier  was  ending 
his  narrative.  "What  did  you  do  ?  Shot  Leonard,  I  sup- 
pose, and  brought  away  the  child.  Where  is  he,  my 
little  Henriot  ?  Because  it  is  he,  I  am  sure  of  it,  and 
that  rascal  stole  him  for  the  baron." 

"  Leonard  got  away,  and  the  baby  " 

"  You  abandoned  it  ? " 

"We  had  just  come  up  to  the  court  when  this  man 
Leonard  set  a  match  to  a  barrel  of  powder  left  there  by 
the  Austrians,  there  was  an  explosion  and  we  were  al- 
most killed  by  the  debris  that  followed." 

"  My  friends,"  cried  Catharine,  "  will  you  go  with  me 
and  look  in  the  chateau  for  this  child  ?  Perhaps  he  is 
still  alive  !  " 

"  I  am  too  tired,"  replied  one  soldier. 

"  Wait  until  I  finish  this  soup,"  said  another. 

"  To-morrow  will  dp,"  added  a  third. 

"  Then  I  shall  go  alone,"  said  Catharine.  "  I  have 
promised  that  child's  mother  that  I  would  return  him  to 
her.  I  shall  keep  my  promise.  Stay  here  and  drink, 
and  eat,  and  sleep.  Good  night !  " 

"  Madame  Lefebvre,  I  will  go  with  you,  if  you  will  let 
me,"  said  the  pretty  sergeant.  "Two  have  more  courage 
than  one." 

"  Call  it  three,"  said  a  timid  voice,  as  Violette  ap- 
peared. His  sabre  had  lost  its  scabbard,  his  clothing 
was  cut  and  torn,  he  wore  upon  his  head  the  helmet  of 
a  vanquished  captain  of  the  Imperial  dragoons. 


"You  will  go  with  us,  Violette?  It  is  good  !  We 
shall  find  our  little  Henriot  because  it  is  certainly  him 
this  cowardly  Leonard  has  had  in  the  chateau. 

As  they  started  to  leave  the  place  a  tall  form  barred 
the  door,  and  Catharine  with  a  movement  of  surprise 
said: 

"  Is  it  you,  Marcel  ? " 

"He  will  go  with  us,"  Rene  whispered. 


"You  may  need  a  doctor  there;  I  will  go  !  "  answered 
Marcel. 

And  the  four  went  forth  amid  the  dead,  the  debris, 
the  broken  weapons,  all  that  encumbered  the  glorious 
field  of  Jemmapes. 

Beneath  the  ruins  of  the  Chateau  de  Lowendaal 
Catharine  found  little  Henriot,  frightened  but  happily 
only  bruised. 


XXX. 

YEYETTE. 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE,  meanwhile  reinstated  in  the 
army,  had  been  given  command  of  the  artillery  at 
Toulon,  where  the  English  fleet  lay,  and  through  the  wis- 
dom and  judgment  there  displayed  he  was  named,  by 
Dubois-Crance,  general  of  artillery  in  Vendee.  Astounded 
by  this  stroke  of  good  fortune  Napoleon,  accompanied  by 
Junot  and  Marmont,  left  for  Paris,  where  his  appointment 
might  be  confirmed  by  Minister  of  War  Aubry,  who  knew 
nothing  of  military  affairs,  who  was  jealous  of  every  one 
about  him  and  who  had  never  been  in  active  service. 

"  You  are  too  young  to  command  artillery,"  he  said, 
when  Napoleon  appeared  before  him. 

"  We  grow  old  rapidly  on  the  battlefield,"  Napoleon 
replied. 

But  Aubry  was  inflexible,  and  the  post  went  to  a  favo- 
rite. Napoleon  was  discouraged  and  angered  and  threat- 
ened to  go  to  Turkey,  entering  the  army  of  the  Sultan. 
But  before  he  could  put  this  plan  in  operation  other 
events  changed  the  course  of  his  life. 

On  the  nth  Vendemiaire  (October  3,  1795)  the  elec- 
tors from  the  different  sections  assembled  at  the  Odeon, 
and  on  the  izth  the  electors  of  the  Bourse  section  made 
an  appeal  to  arms.  General  de  Menon  was  ordered  to 
disarm  and  disperse  the  electors.  He  charged  out  of 
the  Convent  of  the  Filles-Saint-Thomas  to  do  so.  He 
was  driven  back — the  insurgents  were  victorious.  This 
happened  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Bonaparte,  at  that  moment,  was  in  the  Theatre  Fey- 
deau.  Aroused  by  the  noise  he  went  to  the  Assembly, 
where  they  were  discussing  what  measures  to  take. 
Barras  had  been  named  as  conservator  of  the  peace, 
and  he  gave  Napoleon  Bonaparte  an  appointment,  for 


223       

he  had  known  and  appreciated  his  talent  at  Toulon. 
The  next  day,  the  i3th,  Bonaparte  swept  away  the  elec- 
tors from  before  the  Saint-Roch  Church,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  be  general. 

Thus  his  star  began  to  rise  from  this  beginning,  and 
it  shone  clear  and  brilliant  in  the  firmament  for  twenty 
years,  the  hope,  the  glory,  the  guide  of  France. 

And  yet,  notwithstanding  his  military  talents  which 
were  already  recognized,  his  name  was  obscure  and  his 
position  precarious. 

Cambon,  the  great  financier  of  the  Convention,  an 
upright  and  spirited  man,  favorite  hero  of  Michelet, 
said,  "We  were  in  imminent  danger  when  the  good  and 
brave  General  Bonaparte  came  at  the  head  of  fifty 
Grenadiers  and  opened  a  passage  for  us." 

The  insurrection  of  the  i3th  Vendemiaire  was  upon 
the  country.  Every  one  had  lost  his  head,  excepting 
those  who  had  been  named  to  save  the  Convention  and 
re-establish  order.  Barras,  charged  with  full  power  to 
put  down  the  uprising  in  the  city,  looked  about  him  for 
suitable  assistants,  capable  of  commanding  the  troops 
in  these  days  when  every  one  was  playing  with  his  life. 

Carnot  proposed  putting  the  command  in  the  hands 
of  Brune,  but  Barras  objected  that  Brune  knew  nothing 
about  artillery.  Freron,  who  had  seen  and  fallen  in 
love  with  Pauline  Bonaparte,  suggested  the  name  of 
Napoleon.  The  latter  was  sent  for  and  the  offer  made. 
"  I  give  you  three  minutes  to  reflect,"  said  Barras. 

Bonaparte  feared  to  accept  this  responsibility,  always 
unjust,  always  terrible.  To  put  down  the  electors  would 
perhaps  doom  his  name  to  eternal  disgrace  and  infamy. 
He  had  been  unable  to  lead  an  army  against  the 
Vendeans,  here  he  would  march  an  army  against 
the  Parisians!  It  was  civil  war  and  yet,  at  heart,  he 
sympathized  with  much  of  the  sentiment  of  the  electors. 
If  he  were  defeated  he  would  be  lost,  because  he  would 
be  for  ever  followed  by  the  vengeance  of  the  electors, 


224 

masters  of  Paris.  If  lie  were  victorious,  he  would  have 
dampened  his  sword  in  the  blood  of  Frenchmen. 

Then  he  thought  quickly  of  the  consequence  of  refusal. 
If  the  Convention  were  dispersed  by  force  what  would 
become  of  the  conquests  of  the  Revolution  ?  The  vic- 
tories of  Valmy,  of  Jemmapes,  Toulon,  Col  de  Tende, 
the  glorious  successes  of  the  army  of  Sombre-et-Meuse 
and  of  Italy  would  be  useless.  The  defeat  of  the  Con- 
vention meant  the  end  of  the  Revolution  and  the  oppres- 
sion of  France,  the  Austrians  at  Strasbourg,  the  English 
at  Brest,  the  principles  and  liberties  of  the  republic 
gone. 

"  I  accept,"  he  replied  to  Barras. 

It  was  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  next  day  the 
victory  of  the  Convention  was  definite  and  Barras  said 
from  the  platform: 

"  I  wish  to  call  the  attention  of  this  Convention  to 
General  Bonaparte.  It  is  to  him,  to  his  wise  and  prompt 
disposition  of  the  troops  that  we  owe  the  successful  de- 
fense we  made.  I  ask  the  Convention  to  confirm  the 
nomination  of  Bonaparte  to  the  post  of  General  of  the 
Army  of  the  Interior." 

Some  days  later  Barras  gave  the  commission  to  Napo- 
leon investing  him  with  the  sole  command.  It  was  time. 
Napoleon  had  but  one  pair  of  boots  to  his  feet  and  they 
were  broken  and  torn,  his  coat  was  mended  and  patched 
in  a  way  that  called  forth  involuntary  derision  from  his 
companions. 

A  few  days  after  this  he  had  the  courage  to  present 
himself  at  the  house  of  Mme.  Tallien. 

This  seductive  and  perverse  creature,  Therezia 
Cabarrus,  who  had  carried  the  arms  of  the  versatile  Tal- 
lien, was  thrown  into  prison  on  the  pth  Thermidor  and 
there  attracted  the  attention  of  Governor  Barras,  even 
then  a  personage  of  the  very  first  rank.  In  order  to 
obtain  the  influence  of  Barras  and  recognizing  that  he 
must  make  use  of  some  third  party  Bonaparte,  at  the 


225       

end  of  his  resources  and  without  so  much  as  a  five-franc 
piece  in  his  pocket,  decided  to  spend  an  evening  with 
the  beautiful  courtesan. 

It  required  courage  and  great  force  of  character  for 
him  to  dare  to  enter,  in  his  pitiable  attire,  into  the 
society  of  these  elegant  women,  these  fashionable  young 
men  and  these  generous  spendthrifts. 

He  wore  his  long  hair  straight  down  on  either  side  of 
his  face  without  powder,  because  he  had  no  money  to 
buy  it,  and  a  little  queue  trailing  down  behind.  His 
boots  hung  together  by  a  miracle,  and  the  breaks 
he  had  endeavored  to  conceal  by  inking  them  over. 
His  uniform  was  the  same  he  had  worn  before  the 
enemy,  glorious,  but  stained,  and  a  simple  piece  of 
braid  economically  replaced  the  embroidered  insignia 
of  his  rank. 

He  appeared  so  miserable  to  the  triumphant  mistress 
of  the  house,  that  she  gave  him  a  letter  to  M.  Lefeuve, 
director  of  the  army  supplies,  to  the  effect  that  in  con- 
formity with  a  certain  decree  which  provided  for  proper 
costume  for  officers  in  active  service,  she  asked  for  suffi- 
cient cloth  to  make  Napoleon  a  new  coat.  Bonaparte 
was  not  in  active  service  and  therefore  had  no  right  to 
this  privilege,  but  with  the  protection  of  Mme.  Tallien, 
the  decree  was  stretched  to  include  him. 

As  rapidly  as  some  of  the  characters  in  a  fairy  story, 
changes  now  came  into  Bonaparte's  position.  He  was 
installed  in  the  general's  headquarters  in  the  Rue  Capu- 
cines.  Junot  and  Lemarois  were  with  him,  his  uncle  he 
had  asked  to  come  to  Paris  to  aid  him  as  secretary,  he 
sent  the  first  money  that  came  into  his  treasury  to  the 
aid  of  his  family,  and  contented  himself  with  buying  a 
new  pair  of  boots  and  some  gold  embroideries  to  em- 
bellish the  coat  which  he  had  acquired  through  the 
intervention  of  Mme.  Tallien. 

He  used  his  influence  to  provide  places  for  his 
brothers,  he  took  Louis  as  an  aide-de-camp  with  the 


226       

grade  of  captain,  and  he  requested  a  consulate  for 
Joseph— he  sent  money  to  Jerome  at  college,  and 
directed  he  should  be  taught  drawing  and  music. 

Reassured  in  this  way  of  the  condition  of  his  family 
and  feeling  confident  that  his  post  was  now  a  permanent 
one  because  the  Convention  could  refuse  nothing  to  the 
one  who  had  saved  them,  he  gave  some  thought  to  the 
idea  of  matrimony. 

A  rich  marriage  with  a  woman  who  would  bring  him 
a  fortune,  influence,  social  position,  and  efface  all  traces 
in  him  of  a  lower  origin,  and  aid  him  to  keep  his  new 
rank,  this  was  the  end  of  his  ambition.  Bonaparte  the 
inflexible  mathematician,  powerful  and  infallible  in  his 
deductions,  was  dominated  by  a  turbulent  heart  and  a 
vivid  imagination  that  often  governs  the  action  of  men. 
He  was  in  love. 

It  was  at  the  house  of  Mme.  Tallien  that  the  general 
of  the  Vendemiaire  met  the  widow  Beauharnais. 

This  widow,  Beauharnais,  was  a  Creole  from  the  An- 
tilles, one  of  those  adventuresses  who  encircle  the  earth, 
sensual,  audacious,  charming,  who  rapidly  grow  into 
favor,  and  become  an  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the 
country. 

She  was  named  Marie  Josephe  Rose  Tascher  de  la 
Pagerie.  She  was  born  on  the  23th  of  June,  1763,  in  the 
parish  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Purification  at  Martinique. 
The  father  of  Josephe,  always  called  Josephine,  was 
named  Joseph  Gaspard,  and  cultivated  a  vegetable  farm. 

A  certain  Madame  Renaudin,  aunt  of  the  young  girl, 
secured  her  a  husband,  the  youngest  son  of  the  Marquis 
de  Beauharnais,  former  governor  of  the  lies  du  Vent. 
The  aunt  was  mistress  of  the  marquis.  The  marriage 
was  decided  on  without  consulting  the  young  man  who 
was  in  Paris,  and  Josephine  embarked  in  September, 
1779,  to  go  to  him.  She  left  the  steamer  at  Bordeaux, 
and  some  time  after  married  the  Vicomte  Alexandre  de 
Beauharnais,  made  captain  in  his  regiment  of  the  Sarre 


227       

the  day  of  his  marriage.  He  was  eighteen,  she  sixteen 
years  of  age.  Bonaparte  at  the  same  time  when  his 
future  empress  was  making  her  first  marriage,  was  a 
scholar  in  the  Brienne  school,  aged  ten  years. 

The  newly  wed  couple  lodged  in  the  Rue  Thevenot, 
and  there  on  September  2,  1780,  was  born  Eugene,  the 
future  Viceroy  of  Italy.  Young  Beauharnais  about  the 
same  time  was  forced  to  leave  his  wife  and  go  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  regiment.  During  his  absence,  April  10, 
1781,  the  future  Queen  Hortense,  mother  of  Na- 
poleon III.,  was  born  to  Josephine.  Up  to  this  time,  the 
conduct  of  Josephine  had  been  irreproachable,  but  when 
she  was  left  alone  in  the  midst  of  Paris,  young,  pretty, 
vivacious,  and  desirous  of  seeing  life,  she  became  inti- 
mate with  a  gay  crowd  that  made  enjoyment  so  thor- 
oughly a  part  of  their  existence  that  shortly  after  the 
return  of  M.  de  Beauharnais  he  applied  for  a  separation, 
which  was  granted,  but  allowed  Josephine  a  yearly  sum 
of  ten  thousand  francs.  So  soon  as  the  separation  was 
given  she  decided  to  visit  her  native  country,  and  so  in 
1791  she  returned  to  Martinique  in  the  society  of  a  gallant 
officer  of  marines,  M.  Scipion  de  Roure. 

She  returned  to  find  her  husband  in  an  exalted  post. 
Vicomte  de  Beauharnais,  deputy  of  the  nobility,  was 
one  of  the  most  influenlial  members  of  the  Convention. 
He  had  the  honor  of  proposing  on  the  night  of  the 
famous  fourth  of  August  the  eligibility  of  all  citi- 
zens in  the  civil,  military,  and  ecclesiastical  life  to 
office  and  an  equality  for  all  classes  of  citizens.  He 
had  been  several  times  elected  president  of  the  National 
Assembly,  and  received  in  his  home  on  the  Rue  de 
1'University  a  great  number  of  the  deputies  of  which  he 
was  the  chief. 

Josephine,  ambitious  to  preside  in  a  political  salon, 
where  all  the  distinguished  men  of  the  country  sooner 
or  later  found  their  way,  made  overtures  of  reconcilia- 
tion to  her  husband  which  were  pleasantly  received  and 


228       

they  again  lived  together  in  the  Rue  de  ['University, 
where  she  ruled  like  a  queen. 

But  the  Reign  of  Terror  was  at  hand.  Beauharnais 
was  made  general  commanding  the  army  of  the  Rhine, 
and  he  laid  siege  to  Mayence,  but  he  was  accused  of 
treason  in  1794,  and  was  guillotined.  Four  days  later 
the  prisons  were  torn  open  by  the  crowds  and  he  would 
have  escaped.  Josephine  was,  indeed,  favored  in  Beau- 
harnais and  Bonaparte — what  woman  has  ever  had  hus- 
bands worthier  love  and  respect  ? 

The  revolution  gave  to  Josephine  the  status  of  a 
grande  dame,  the  name  of  her  husband  served  to  give  her 
an  entree  to  the  court  that  survived  the  Terror.  In  the 
prison  where  she  was  cast  for  a  time,  she  came  in  con- 
tact with  several  members  of  the  old  aristocracy,  and 
there  she  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  Cabarrus.  At 
the  house  of  Citizen  Tallien,  the  husband,  and  Barras, 
the  lover,  Josephine  one  day  met  Napoleon. 

Bonaparte  had  then  become  a  favorite.  He  was  spoken 
of  as  the  young  general  who  at  one  bound  nearly 
reached  glory,  the  salons  were  open  to  him,  the  ladies 
were  smiling,  he  was  grave,  sombre,  indifferent.  The 
Widow  Beauharnais,  with  the  nonchalance  of  a  Creole, 
with  deliberate  manner,  with  ripened  charms,  attracted 
Napoleon  from  the  first.  She  was  not  beautiful,  her 
future  brother-in-law,  Lucien,  uses  these  terms  in  ex- 
plaining the  impression  she  made  on  him: 

"She  has  very  little  spirit,  and  no  one  could  call  her 
beautiful,  but  there  is  a  certain  suggestiveness  of  the 
Creole  in  the  supple  undulations  of  her  figure;  a  face 
without  much  natural  freshness,  but  which  deficiency  is 
supplied  by  her  toilette  accessories." 

Josephine  was  then  thirty-two  years  of  age;  she  was 
the  mother  of  two  children,  and  her  excited  existence, 
her  several  voyages,  the  peculiarities  of  her  domestic 
life,  and  the  love  incidents  of  her  career  had  certainly 
contributed  to  accentuate  her  years. 


22<)       

She  vanquished  the  conqueror  at  their  first  interview. 
Bonaparte  left  the  Tallien  household  with  a  turbulent 
heart,  sparkling  eyes,  confident  he  had  for  the  first 
time  accomplished  the  conquest  that  brought  to  him  the 
greatest  glory,  that  had  been  the  great  victory  for 
which  he  had  always  yearned,  a  woman's  love.  He  for- 
got his  family,  his  ambition,  in  the  thought  of  his  charm- 
ing Yeyette,  as  he  familiarly  nicknamed  the  voluptuous 
Creole. 

XXXI. 

MADAME    BONAPARTE. 

BONAPARTE — whose  early  life  was  chaste  and  laborious, 
who  had  known  nothing  of  dissipation — was  madly  in 
love  with  Yeyette,  and  it  is  certain  that  Josephine  in  no 
way  merited  this  excess  of  affection.  But  the  young 
general  found  in  this  psychological  situation  a  love  that 
satisfied  his  ideal  of  woman,  and  approached  very  closely 
to  the  type  he  had  pictured  in  his  rnind  as  being  per- 
fect. Josephine  had  neither  an  excess  of  spirits  nor  a 
superabundance  of  reserve,  but  possessed  a  piquancy 
that  enabled  her  to  indulge  in  repartee  that  was  always 
epigrammatic  and  frequently  was  cutting.  She  took 
great  interest  in  Napoleon's  military  accomplishments, 
and  was  delighted  to  talk  with  him  of  his  strategy. 

She  had  in  his  eyes  an  incomparable  prestige;  was 
she  not -from  an  ancient  aristocratic  family?  For  the 
little  Corsican,  brought  up  in  a  miserable  home  and 
who  had  never  known  a  well-born  woman,  this  vicom- 
tesse  personified  all  that  was  desirable.  Bonaparte,  with 
an  absolute  ignorance  of  the  world,  was  not  able  to  dis- 
tinguish between  a  true  grande  dame  and  this  irregular 
widow,  who  allured  him  with  her  languorous  eyes  and 
charmed  him  with  her  simple,  sincere  interest  in  his  mili- 
tary affairs. 


Napoleon  loved  Josephine  with  an  ideal  love.  His 
fruitless  attempts  to  marry  the  daughter  of  the  soap 
merchant  of  Marseilles  indicated  he  was  not  beyond 
the  consideration  of  a  financial  alliance.  He  wanted  a 
wife  who  could  preside  at  a  salon,  and  who  would  bring 
to  him  a  handsomely  furnished  home  and  an  established 
position.  Josephine  presented  to  him  all  these  advan- 
tages, like  the  Widow  Permon,  she  was  an  aristocrat  and 
like  Desiree  Clary  she  was  rich.  After  his  introduction 
at  Tallien's  he  was  invited  to  the  little  home  of  Jose- 
phine at  No.  6  Rue  Chantereine,  and  there  he  found 
what  he  supposed  to  be  the  luxury  of  a  true  vicomtesse. 

A  pleasant  and  charming  invention,  but  an  absolutely 
inexact  story,  is  that  of  Eugene  Beauharnais,  reclaiming 
his  father's  sword  from  the  perquisites  of  Napoleon,  to 
whom  it  was  reported  to  have  fallen  after  the  execution. 
The  sword  of  the  general  would  have  been  sent  to  his 
wife  and  the  Vicomtesse  de  Beauharnais  being  the 
friend  of  Tallien  and  living  in  the  society  of  Barras, 
would  certainly  have  demanded  it  had  it  not  been  sent 
her. 

The  home  on  the  Rue  Chantereine  was  modestly  but 
prettily  furnished  and  displayed  a  large  quantity  of 
bric-a-brac.  With  Gauthier,  her  coachman,  and  Made- 
moiselle Campoint,  her  femme  de  chambre,  Josephine 
lived  here  the  life  of  a  coquette  and  in  every  apparent 
luxury;  she  had  many  dresses  and  few  chemises;  her 
costumes  were  all  of  light  material,  designed  to  produce 
youthful  effect. 

Bonaparte  left  the  house  nightly  his  mind  filled  with 
every  possible  conceit;  he  wished  to  present  Josephine 
as  his  wife,  as  a  being  he  possessed,  to  enfold  her  in  the 
impetuosity  of  his  caresses.  He  had  looked  into  her 
personal  qualities,  her  position  in  the  world,  her  origin, 
her  associations,  her  preferences,  and  he  found  that  as  a 
wife  she  would  satisfy  all  his  demands.  Then  he  offered 
himself  to  her. 


Josephine  hesitated,  knowing  her  own  position  to  be 
precarious;  she  wished  to  be  certain  that  of  Bonaparte 
was  assured.  He  could  not  be  entirely  unworthy  for 
he  was  favored  with  the  friendship  of  Barras.  Without 
the  influence  of  Barras  it  would  have  been  Brune  or 
Verdiere  who  would  have  had  the  defense  of  the  Con- 
vention on  the  13111  Vendemiaire.  Would  Barras  con- 
tinue his  protection?  The  all-powerful  Director  might 
look  upon  the  marriage  unfavorably. 

Josephine  resolved  to  consult  the  sensual  and  cynical 
potentate.  She  made  her  attire  that  night  and  she  went 
to  the  Luxembourg,  the  home  of  Citizen  Barras,  mem- 
ber of  the  Directory. 

There  was  a  fete  at  the  Luxembourg  when  Josephine 
de  Beauharnais  was  announced.  She  was  dressed  in 
the  newest  and  most  captivating  fashion;  a  robe  of  some 
light  material,  vapory  and  almost  transparent,  made 
her  figure  still  more  enticing  and  exaggerated  the 
beauty  of  its  outlines.  She  wished  not  only  to  attract 
the  sensitive  eye  of  Barras,  but  also  to  eclipse  that 
coterie  of  beauties  he  gathered  about  him  and  who,  she 
knew,  would  be  adorned  with  flowers,  attired  in  white, 
blue,  in  Greek  and  Roman  fashion,  personating  Diana, 
Terpsichore,  every  mythological  character  from  the 
time  of  Olympus  until  the  present. 

Whether  she  refused  or  whether  she  consented  to 
give  her  hand  to  Bonaparte,  Josephine  was  determined 
to  maintain  her  reputation  as  a  woman  of  the  world  and 
to  show  that  she  had  in  no  sense  renounced  her  sway 
over  the  empire  of  beauty  and  fashion.  At  the  bottom 
of  her  heart,  the  interview  that  she  risked,  the  counsel 
and  the  aid  that  she  came  to  ask  from  the  brilliant 
Director,  was  not  merely  to  interest  him  in  this  partic- 
ular case,  but  she  desired  as  well  to  attract  the  favor- 
able attention  of  one  who  had  already  reached  the 
highest  place  in  the  Republic  and  seemed  destined  to 
retain  it. 


232 

She  might,  if  she  decided  to  accept,  exhibit  to  her 
rivals  her  lover,  Bonaparte,  as  a  unique  individuality, 
as  a  jewel,  as  a  little  savage,  but  precious  withal,  and  she 
wished  to  know  from  Barras  whether  he  would  promise 
his  aid  in  her  undertaking. 

Josephine  was  never  publicly  the  mistress  of  Barras, 
and  yet  no  woman  could  resist  him;  his  life  had  been  a 
series  of  amorous  adventures;  he  was  an  aristocrat  by 
birth,  although  wearing  the  cap  of  liberty,  he  was  the 
Comte  Paul  de  Barras. 

He  had  been  a  captain  in  the  armies  of  the  King,  a 
member  of  the  Convention,  a  regicide,  President  of  the 
Assembly,  invested  with  the  supreme  command  on  the 
9th  Thermidor  and  the  i3th  Vendemiaire,  he  had  been 
elected  a  member  of  the  Directory  by  a  vote  of  129  out 
of  218.  The  Directory  was  composed  of  five  members, 
selected  from  a  list  of  fifty  members  presented  by  the 
Assembly  of  the  Five  Hundred;  his  colleagues  were 
Larevelliere-Lepeaux,  who  was  elected  by  216  votes, 
Rewbell,  Letourneur,  and  Carnot.  The  last  of  all, 
Barras,  was  really  invested  with  the  actual  government 
of  the  Directory.  He  was  large,  robust,  and  with  the 
bearing  of  a  king;  in  his  robes  of  office  he  was  impres- 
sive. By  his  presence,  by  the  manner  in  which  he  carried 
his  head  high  above  all  others,  by  the  very  gesture  in 
raising  his  hat  from  which  floated  three  white  feathers,  by 
the  nonchalance  with  which  he  swept  his  lorgnette  over 
the  visitors'  seats  at  the  Luxembourg,  by  the  manner  in 
which  his  sabre  dangled  at  his  side,  he  was  the  ideal 
personage  for  the  servile  crowd,  he  was  majesty  itself 
re-established  without  a  monarchy.  This  Louis  XIV. 
of  the  Corps  de  Garde  was  the  king  of  the  Republic. 
Everyone  served  him  and  everyone  served  his  vices; 
his  mistresses  formed  the  guard  of  his  lighter  life,  and 
were  rewarded  by  the  fetes  he  gave  them.  The  people 
were  too  busy  with  other  things  to  reproach  him  for 
his  pleasures  or  his  excesses;  they  had  just  come  out  of 


233 

a  terrible  battle  and  all  ranks  of  society  were  forgetful 
of  everything  else  than  the  efforts  to  lead  a  life  of  peace 
and  to  make  every  day  a  mardi  gras. 

Tallien  was  his  favorite,  not  alone  was  she  mistress  in 
title,  but  the  accomplice  of  Barras,  she  was  his  foremost 
agent  in  s  >cial  corruption,  her  role  was  that  of  a  magnifi- 
cent profligate,  she  aided  the  sybarite  Director  to  enter 
the  revolution  showered  with  flowers  and  to  succeed  in 
creating  an  orgie  from  his  debauchery  of  blood.  This 
evening  they  had  brought  together  at  the  house  of 
Barras  all  of  that  society  which  meant  elegance,  dis- 
tinction, vice,  virtue,  glory,  indiscriminately  com- 
mingled, young  generals,  old  parliamentarians,  fashion- 
able women,  Madame  Angots  all  petticoats  and  jewelry, 
savants,  the  writers  Monge,  La  Place,  Volney,  all 
crowded  into  the  spacious  salons  of  the  Luxem- 
bourg, happy  that  they  survived,  desirous  to  catch  up 
with  the  lost  hours,  indifferent  to  the  future,  intoxi- 
cated with  the  surroundings  and  the  beauties  of  the 
gathering. 

When  Josephine  was  announced  to  Barras  she  was 
conducted  to  a  little  salon  immediately  adjoining  the 
cabinet  of  the  Director.  Here  she  waited  for  some 
minutes  when  she  became  aware  of  a  discussion  going 
on  in  the  next  room,  and  as  the  voices  became  louder 
she  heard  the  words  that  were  uttered: 

"  Why  do  you  suspect  Bonaparte  ? " 

"  I  believe  he  is  ambitious,"  replied  a  voice  she  did 
not  recognize. 

"Are  not  you  also,  Carnot?"  responded  the  first 
voice,  which  now  she  recognized  as  that  of  Barras. 
"You  are  jealous  of  Bonaparte,  the  plans  which  he 
arranged  for  the  army  of  Italy  were  adopted  by  the 
Directory  in  place  of  yours,  and  you  fear  that  he  will 
reap  the  glory  of  the  triumph  of  our  armies." 

"I  knew  nothing  of  his  plans,"  replied  Carnot.  "I 
was  ignorant  of  them,  what  you  say  is  false." 


"  Don't  raise  your  hand  to  me  !  "  said  Barras  brutally. 
"  It  is  stained  with  blood." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  I  signed  the  death  warrants  ? " 
shouted  Carnot. 

"  Yes,  everyone  of  them,  you  signed  them  with  Robes- 
pierre." 

"  I  signed  them  without  reading  them,  just  as  Robes- 
pierre signed  my  plans  of  attack  without  looking  at 
them.  We  have  served  the  revolution  each  in  our  own 
way.  Posterity  will  judge  us  !  " 

"Judge  you  to  be  a  drinker  of  blood!"  Barras  re- 
plied. 

"  I  will  leave  you  to  your  gold  and  your  voluptu- 
aries !  "  said  Carnot.  "  But  I  repeat,  I  fear  the  ambition 
of  Bonaparte,  but  if  he  is  named  for  general  of  Italy,  I 
shall  not  oppose  him.  After  all,  he  is  a  terrorist,  a  pro- 
tege of  the  Jacobins,  a  regicide  like  you  and  me;  if  you 
wish  to  recompense  him  that  is  your  affair." 

And  the  member  of  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety 
left  the  room  slamming  the  door  behind  him.  Barras 
lifted  the  portiere  and  stood  before  Josephine. 

"To  what  happy  circumstance,  my  beautiful  Vicom- 
tesse,  do  I  owe  the  pleasure  of  your  call  and  the  agree- 
able surprise  of  a  private  audience  ? " 

At  heart  Barras  was  disturbed,  he  had  not  disdained 
the  passing  favors  of  the  seductive  Creole  but  they  had 
never  been  anything  other  than  occasional  and  capri- 
cious. Josephine  was  always  short  of  money,  without 
resources,  without  relations.  He  on  his  side  had  been 
flattered  by  a  conquest  of  an  old  aristocrat,  the  widow 
of  a  president  of  the  Constitutional  Assembly,  of  a 
general-in-chief  of  the  glorious  army  of  the  Rhine. 

Josephine  with  a  little  hesitation  confessed  the  object 
of  her  visit : 

"  I  think  I  shall  get  married  again,  my  dear  Director, 
what  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  I    certainly  think    you    could   make   some  one  very 


happy.  But  who  is  the  fortunate  man  you  have 
selected  ?" 

"  You  know  him,  Barras !  He  is  General  Vende- 
miaire." 

"  Bonaparte  ?  A  smart  fellow,  an  officer  of  the  high- 
est ability.  If  you  had  seen  him  as  I  did  on  his  horse 
in  the  cul-de-sac  Dauphin  right  in  the  mouth  of  the 
cannon  of  the  electors  at  Saint  Roch,  you  would  have 
been  convinced  that  he  is  a  brave  enough  man  to  make 
a  good  husband.  He  is  fearless.  I  stood  beside  him 
when  the  electors  fired  on  him  like  the  devil,"  said 
Barras  in  an  enthusiastic  manner. 

"  That  is  good,"  answered  Josephine.  "  He  will  make 
a  good  father  then  for  the  orphans  of  Alexandre  de 
Beauharnais.  and  a  husband  for  his  widow." 

"  Do  you  love  him  ? " 

"  Frankly,  Barras,  no,  I  do  not  love  him,  not  with  real 
love." 

"  Well,  have  you  any  longing  for  him  ?" 

"  He  has  no  objectionable  feature  to  me,  nothing  to 
displease  me.  Love  is  a  fad,  Barras.  It  pleases  the 
crowd,  I  want  counsel  more  than  fervor." 

"  Well  do  you  want  me  to  order  him  to  marry  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  only  want  your  advice.  I  admire  the  courage 
of  Napoleon,  and  he  saved  us  on  the  i3th  Vendemiaire." 

"  He  has  protected  the  Convention  and  defeated  the 
faction  that  is  against  the  Republic,  he  gained  by  him- 
self alone  in  Paris  a  battle  in  the  streets  that  was  more 
savage  than  any  battle  in  the  fields." 

"  I  realize  he  is  a  superior  man  and  I  appreciate 
his  knowledge  of  all  things,  the  vivacity  of  his  spirit,  his 
thoughts  and  his  ambition." 

"  He  has  an  eye  that  is  commanding  !  "  said  Barras 
with  gravity  and  earnestness.  "  The  first  time  I  saw 
him  I  was  strangely  struck  by  his  appearance,  I  saw  a 
man  beneath  the  ordinary  height,  exceedingly  slender, 
almost  thin,  his  hair  peculiarly  cut  hanging  down  over 


236    

his  ears  and  touching  his  shoulders.  Oh,  he  is  by  no 
means  one  of  the  fops  cf  the  day.  His  dress  is  not  of 
that  style,  you  know  the  coat  he  wears,  buttoned  up  to 
his  chin,  decorated  with  a  little  dirty  gold  braid,  and 
the  tricolor  feather  in  his  hat.  At  the  first  sight  his 
face  didn't  strike  me  as  being  attractive,  but  the  more  I 
saw  it,  the  more  pronounced  I  found  its  characteristic, 
his  eye  was  ever  active,  his  expression  animated  and 
every  change  in  his  features  indicated  an  ardent  soul, 
his  forehead  high  and  broad  showed  me  he  was  a 
profound  thinker,  he  speaks  quickly  and  briefly, 
and  although  he  expresses  himself  incorrectly  at  some 
times  I  have  found  his  ideas  to  be  sublime.  He  is  a 
man,  Josephine.  A  true  man,  a  valiant  man  who  will, 
perhaps,  be  among  our  greatest  heroes.  Take  him, 
Josephine,  that  is  the  counsel  of  a  friend  I  give  you,  a 
good  friend,  believe  me." 

"Then  you  advise  me  to  become  his  wife?" 

"Yes,  and  in  time  you  will  love  him." 

"  Do  you  believe  it  ?    I  just  care  a  little  for  him  now." 

"You  are  not  alone  in  that;  all  my  colleagues  care  a 
little  for  him;  Carnot,  a  terrorist  and  a  drinker  of  blood 
and  accomplice  of  Robespierre,  he  detests  him,  but  it  is 
because  he  is  jealous  of  him." 

"  I  believe  he  loves  me,  but,  Barras,  between  friends, 
and  in  a  little  burst  of  confidence,  you  know  I  have 
passed  my  first  youth  and  I  cannot  hope  to  retain 
for  a  very  long  time  this  violent  tenderness  he  feels  for 
me  now." 

"  Don't  give  yourself  any  uneasiness  on  that  account." 

"If  after  we  should  become  united  he  should  cease  to 
love  me  and  should  neglect  me  and  should  repent  of  his 
delusion,  and  regret  that  he  was  not  married  to  a 
woman  more  brilliant,  younger,  what  could  I  say  to 
him  ?  What  could  I  do  ?  I  should  simply  cry." 

"Now,  why  do  you  imagine  such  unhappiness  ?  Why 
suffer  a  misery  before  it  comes  ?  Bonaparte  is  the  best 


237     — 

man  in  sight.  Are  you  superstitious?  If  so,  believe  in 
him,  because  he  says  he  has  a  star." 

"  I  am  superstitious,  for  I  am  from  Martinique.  A 
negress  fortune-teller  there,  whose  prophesies  the  entire 
neighborhood  declares  have  always  been  realized,  pre- 
dicted once  that  some  day  I  should  wear  a  crown,  the 
crown  of  a  queen.  I  cannot  very  well  see  Napoleon  a 
king  and  I  sitting  on  his  throne." 

"  No,  but,  perhaps,  you  can  divide  with  him  the  glory 
that  will  surround  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  gran- 
dest army  of  the  republic." 

"  What  do  you  say,  my  dear  Barras  ?  "  Josephine  de- 
manded in  impulsive  surprise. 

"  I  say  that  you  may  be  the  happiest  of  wives,  you 
may  be  the  most  beautiful  queen  of  the  beauties  of  our 
Republic  if  you  marry  Napoleon,  and  as  a  wedding  pres- 
ent from  me,  your  old  friend,  believe  me  I  will  drop 
a  jewel  into  your  marriage  basket  that  will  bring  about 
the  fortune  of  the  general  who  has  defeated  the  insur- 
gents." 

"  Truly  !  What  then  ?  A  headdress  of  gold  set  with 
diamonds,  such  as  you  gave  to  the  beautiful  Madame 
Tallien  ? " 

"  Better  than  that,  it  shall  be  his  commission  as  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  army  in  Italy.  But  come,  they 
will  notice  my  absence  from  the  fete,"  and  Barras  play- 
fully took  Josephine's  arm  beneath  his  own  and  re- 
entered  the  salon.  "  Let  me  be  the  first  to  congratulate 
Bonaparte  on  his  marriage  and  on  his  new  command." 


238 


XXXII. 

THE    SWORD    OF    THE    PYRAMIDS. 

BONAPARTE  was  named  general-in-chief  of  the  army 
in  Italy  on  February  23,  1796.  Rewbell  was  the  only 
Director  to  oppose  the  appointment. 

On  the  pth  of  March,  that  was  some  days  later,  the 
marriage  of  the  general  with  the  Widow  Beauharnais 
was  celebrated. 

Two  days  after  the  ceremony  he  started  for  his  com- 
mand, and  he  carried  with  him  into  Italy  the  passionate 
love  for  Josephine  that  inspired  him  the  first  moment 
he  met  her.  No  day  passed  without  his  writing  her 
amorous  epistles,  a  little  emphatic  in  expression  but 
eloquent  and  sincere.  Harassed  by  work,  wearied  by 
the  labor  of  preparing  a  campaign  he  was  to  fight  the 
next  day,  the  young  general,  in  the  midst  of  his  pre- 
occupations and  the  dangers  that  multiplied  with  the 
hours,  never  failed  to  put  upon  paper  his  loving  phrases 
which  marked  the  intensity  of  his  affection,  and  de- 
spatched each  day  and  each  night  by  the  couriers  who 
carried  to  Paris  the  bulletin  of  a  new  victory  and  to  bear 
the  flags  captured  from  the  enemy,  flags  that  were  laid 
upon  the  altar  of  his  country  in  a  grand  ceremony  pre- 
sided over  by  the  all-powerful  Directors. 

And  that  fete  of  victory  which  he  ordained  should  be 
held  on  the  Plateau  of  Rivoli,  that  day  of  patriotic  re- 
joicings he  gave  to  Paris  when  his  friend  Junot  presented 
the  Austrian  standards  to  the  Convention,  was  an  idea 
created  for  the  glorification  and  grandeur  of  his  Jose- 
phine. On  that  day  this  insignificant  and  sensuous 
Creole  was  the  queen  of  France;  before  the  troops,  in 
the  face  of  the  enormous  assembly  of  citizens,  to  the 
sound  of  cannon,  and  of  bells  clanging  out  the  alleluia 
of  victory,  she  leaned  on. the  arm  of  Junot  and  was 


239 

saluted  as  the  friend,  the  companion,  the  representative 
of  the  hero  whose  name  was  shouted  to  the  skies  from 
an  hundred  thousand  throats. 

Carnot,  at  the  altar  on  the  Champs  de  Mars,  delivered 
an  oration  wherein  the  victorious  young  general  was 
compared  to  Epaminondes  and  Miltiades.  Lebrun,  the 
national  poet,  led  a  choir  singing  the  great  hymn: 

Amid  the  goblets  brimming  to  our  glory, 
How  Bacchus  triumphs  with  celestial  glance, 
Come  drink,  my  lads,  for  vict'ry  lies  before  ye — 
The  conquests  that  ne'er  fail  to  our  fair  France. 

All  Paris  did  homage  to  Napoleon  and  his  bride,  and 
yet  she  refused  to  hasten  to  Italy  where  he  passionately 
called  her.  Her  delay  prompted  the  most  foolish  re- 
solves on  his  part;  he  threatened  to  abandon  his  com- 
mand and  return  to  her  in  Paris  and  so  seriously  did 
he  speak  of  this  that  finally  she  consented  to  join  him, 
and  with  a  heavy  heart  she  set  out  on  her  journey. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1797,  after  the  ratification  of 
the  Treaty  of  Campo  Fornio  and  the  military  Conven- 
tion that  met  at  Mayence  and  Manheim,  they  returned 
to  their  little  home  on  the  Rue  Chantereine,  which  was 
renamed  Rue  Victoire  in  honor  of  the  general,  and  there 
they  soon  realized  the  dangers  of  popularity  and  of  the 
unique  position  he  held  in  the  republic. 

It  was  proposed  to  present  him  with  the  Chateau  de 
Chambord,  that  marvelous  work  of  Renaissance  art,  as 
a  national  gift.  He  refused  it,  as  he  likewise  refused  all 
distinctions  that  were  offered  him.  He  would  accept 
only  the  title  of  general-in-chief  of  the  army  in  England, 
and  he  prepared  a  plan  of  campaign  which  was  publicly 
announced  to  have  for  its  object  the  invasion  of  Great 
Britain.  In  reality  he  had  decided  to  strike  this  enemy 
of  France  and  the  Republic  where  she  was  most  vulner- 
able— in  her  colonies — and  he  selected  the  route  to  them 
through  Egypt. 


240     

On  the  borders  of  the  Nile  he  expected  new  laurels, 
and  his  imagination  was  fed  by  the  legends  of  this 
fabulous  country.  His  plans  were  gigantic  and  chi- 
merical and  he  had  in  his  mind  not  only  the  conquest  of 
Egypt,  but  of  Syria,  Palestine,  Turkey  his  entrance  as 
Leader  of  the  Cross  into  Constantinople,  the  taking  of 
Europe  on  his  return  with  a  vast  army  of  fellahs, 
Bedouins,  Turks  and  the  peoples  of  Asia  Minor.  He 
would  conquer  all  opposing  armies,  he  would  create  a 
new  map  of  the  world,  and  by  his  victorious  sword  he 
would  make  new  kings  and  new  nations. 

Bonaparte,  before  he  left  for  Egypt,  had  outlined  in 
his  mind  the  fantastic  dream  of  a  grand  western  em- 
pire, although  at  the  same  time  his  calmer  thoughts 
prompted  him  to  leave  Paris  and  again  take  the  field. 
He  saw  the  jealousy  of  the  Directory  was  being 
aroused  and  Rewbell,  an  honest  but  incompetent  man, 
had  been  induced  to  suggest  that  Napoleon  had  mis- 
appropriated certain  sums  captured  in  Italy.  The 
Directory  at  the  same  time  overlooked  the  enormous 
values  in  money,  statues,  paintings,  spoil  of  all  kinds 
that  each  month  the  victorious  Bonaparte  had  sent  to 
Paris. 

His  plans  were  finally  arranged  for  departure  and  on 
May  9,  1798,  he  embarked  at  Toulon.  Before  setting 
forth  he  addressed  his  troops  in  words  filled  with  hope 
and  dwelling  in  promising  language  on  the  splendor  of 
the  country  they  went  to  conquer: 

"  Soldiers,  you  know  you  have  not  yet  done  enough 
for  your  country,  and  you  know  your  country  has 
not  done  enough  for  you.  I  take  you  to  a  land  where, 
by  your  future  exploits,  you  will  surpass  those  upon 
which  your  fame  rests  to-day  and  will  render  to  your 
flag  a  service  that  will  give  you  the  right  to  the  title  of 
Invincibles.  I  promise  to  each  soldier  returning  from  this 
expedition  that  he  shall  have  sufficient  to  buy  six  acres 
of  ground," 


241     

The  campaign  in  Egypt,  with  its  legendary  incidents, 
the  soldiers  jokingly  demanding  in  the  desert  of  Gizeh 
whether  it  were  there  the  general  had  promised  them 
their  six  acres,  the  almost  fabulous  victories,  the  naval 
disasters,  the  revenge  of  Aboukir,  all  make  a  tale  more 
wonderful  than  any  that  was  created  for  the  Sultan's 
amusement  in  the  "  Thousand  and  One  Nights." 

On  the  i5th  of  October,  1799,  Bonaparte  disembarked 
at  Trejus  and  marched  towards  Paris,  followed  by  the 
applause  of  the  crowds.  He  was  their  hero,  their  savior, 
their  god. 

Bonaparte  had  gathered  about  him  a  brilliant  and 
valorous  staff,  Lannes,  Murat,  Berthier,  Marmont,  Cam- 
baceres,  Fouche  and  Talleyrand.  His  two  brothers, 
Lucien  and  Joseph,  worked  actively  for  him;  Lucien  had 
become  a  member  of  the  Five  Hundred. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1799,  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  all  generals  and  superior  officers,  called  to- 
gether by  Napoleon,  assembled  at  his  home  on  the  Rue 
Victoire.  There  were  present  six  adjutants  of  the 
National  Guard,  Moreau,  Macdonald,  Murat,  Serurier, 
Andreassy,  Berthier  and  Bernadotte  in  civilians'  dress. 
There  was  only  one  important  general  absent,  and 
Bonaparte  asked  anxiously: 

"  Where  is  Lefebvre  ?     Why  is  he  not  with  you  ?" 

At  the  same  moment  General  Lefebvre  was  announced. 

The  former  French  guardsman,  the  husband  of  Sans- 
Gene,  the  lieutenant  of  militia,  the  captain  at  Verdun 
and  in  the  army  of  the  North,  had  become  general 
commander  of  the  i7th  Military  Division  and  Governor 
of  Paris. 

From  captain  of  the  Thirteenth  Infantry  at  Jemmapes, 
he  had  been  named  chief  of  a  battalion,  chief  of  minor 
brigade  and  finally  general  of  brigade  in  the  army  of  the 
Moselle,  under  the  orders  of  his  friend  Hoche.  On  the 
loth  of  January,  1794,  he  was  promoted  to  be  general  of 
division  and  commander  of  the  immortal  army  of  Sambre- 


242     

et-Meuse  at  the  death  of  Hoche.  After  having  commanded 
the  army  of  the  Danube,  he  was  a  candidate  for  the 
Directory,  but  failed  of  election  because  of  his  ultra 
republican  principles  and  his  military  preferences. 
Named  to  the  command  of  the  army  of  Paris,  Lefebvre 
became  the  most  useful  and  the  indispensable  instrument 
of  Napoleon  in  carrying  out  his  ambitious  plans. 

But  he  was  not  aware  of  the  plans  of  the  future  mas- 
ter of  France  at  this  moment.  When  summoned  by 
Napoleon  he  had  mounted  his  horse  and  galloped  quickly 
towards  Paris.  It  was  midnight  when  he  was  notified  of 
the  meeting,  and  as  he  rode  to  the  conference  he  was 
surprised  to  see  the  cavalry  stationed  through  the  streets 
and  conscious  he  had  given  no  orders  for  such  a  dispo- 
sition. 

Arriving  then  in  ignorance  of  the  momentous  action 
to  be  soon  taken  he  was  greeted  by  Napoleon  : 

"  Welcome,  my  dear  Lefebvre,  how  are  you  ?  And  how 
is  Catharine  ?  Always  with  her  heart  in  her  hand  and 
her  reply  ready,  I  warrant.  Madame  Bonaparte  com- 
plains of  not  seeing  her  often." 

"  My  wife  is  not  well,  thank  you,  General,"  Lefebvre 
replied. 

Bonaparte  continued: 

"  See,  Lefebvre,  you  are  one  of  the  brave  men,  one  of 
the  preservers  of  the  republic.  Here  let  me  give  you 
the  sword  I  captured  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Pyra- 
mids; I  give  it  to  you  as  an  evidence  of  my  esteem  and 
my  confidence,"  and  he  held  towards  Lefebvre  a  mag- 
nificent sword,  its  hilt  set  with  precious  stones,  the  for- 
mer cimetar  of  Mourad  Bey. 

Tt  was  the  sword  of  the  Pyramids. 

Lefebvre  buckled  it  proudly  to  his  belt  and  the  i8th 
Brumaire  was  accomplished. 

The  evening  of  that  day  was  decisive;  it  changed  the 
destinies  of  France. 


243 
XXXIII. 

THE    DANCING-MASTER. 

QUIETLY,  cautiously  opened  the  door  of  an  elegantly 
furnished  bedroom  in  the  palace  of  Saint  Cloud. 

A  maid  looked  discreetly  into  the  apartment  before 
she  entered,  and  then  she  stepped  lightly  over  to  the 
great  bed,  surmounted  by  a  ducal  crown  and  hung 
with  two  heavy  curtains  of  plush.  Parting  the  hangings 
slightly  with  her  hand  she  whispered  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Madame  Marchioness,  Madame  Marchioness,  it  is  ten 
o'clock  !  " 

Then  a  strong  voice  sharpened  slightly  with  temper 
answered  : 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  can't  you  let  me  sleep  peace- 
fully!' 

"  Excuse  me,  Madame  Marchioness,  but  the  Madame 
desired  that  she  should  be  awakened  at  ten  o'clock  !  " 

"  What,  already  ten  o'clock  !  Ah,  how  lazy  I  have  be- 
come. I  had  better  habits  once,  when  I  was  a  washer- 
woman; I  got  up  early  then;  so  I  did  when  I  was  in  the 
regiment,  at  the  canteen.  I  never  waited  to  hear  the 
clock  twice  before  I  was  on  my  feet.  But  now  that  I  am 
Madame  Marchioness  I  don't  like  to  get  up.  All  right, 
Lise,  give  me  my  wrapper  !  " 

While  the  maid  was  moving  about  the  room  Madame 
Marchioness,  sitting  up  in  bed,  swore  at  her  like  a 
trooper  because  she  could  not  find  her  stockings  where 
she  had  thrown  them  the  night  before.  Lise  searched 
diligently,  but  without  success,  and  irritated  beyond 
control,  the  Marchioness  in  bare  feet  and  short  night 
dress  jumped  upon  the  floor  and  scurried  round.  The 
stockings  were  found,  and  the  Marchioness  threw  her- 
self petulently  upon  the  bed  while  Lise  drew  them  on 
her  legs. 


244     

The  events  of  the  past  two  years  had  changed  not 
only  the  face  of  the  world  but  the  destiny  of  the  people. 
The  obscure  artillery  officer  of  Toulon,  the  poor  client 
of  the  washerwoman,  had  become  commander-in-chief, 
First  Consul  and  Emperor. 

France  in  the  midst  of  martial  activity  and  the  waving 
of  its  flag  had  made  itself  the  centre  of  Europe,  had 
made  itself  a  vast  camp  that  was  lighted  by  the  rays  of 
the  superb  sun  of  Austerlitz.  The  prediction  of  the 
fortune-teller,  Fortunatus,  in  the  salon  of  the  Vauxhall 
had  been  realized  by  Lefebvre  and  his  wife.  Rapidly 
passing  to  the  highest  ranks  the  former  sergeant  of  the 
French  Guards,  more  fortunate  than  his  comrade  Hoche, 
had  survived  the  terrible  period  of  the  Revolution.  We 
have  seen  him,  on  the  i8th  Brumaire,  general  of  division 
and  commander  of  Paris,  blindly  following  the  fortunes 
of  Bonaparte.  Since  then  the  favor  of  the  First  Consul 
and  of  the  Emperor  had  never  for  a  moment  failed  him. 

In  1804  Napoleon  restored  the  ancient  dignity  of  the 
Marshals  of  France,  and  Lefebvre  was  the  first  to  be 
invested  with  this  great  post.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
elected  to  a  place  in  the  Senate.  But  Lefebvre  was  a 
Senator  only  by  the  influence  of  Napoleon.  He  was 
considered  the  bravest  general  in  the  field,  but  he  was 
also  considered  the  most  ignorant  in  the  Senate,  the 
most  incapable  when  his  pen  was  in  his  hand.  Napoleon 
thought  and  Lefebvre  executed,  he  was  the  shell  in  the 
cannon,  the  Emperor  was  the  force.  Lefebvre  would 
drive  directly  ahead  with  an  irresistible  power  under  an 
impetus  nothing  could  withstand.  It  was  he  in  the 
grand  army,  who  had  the  honor  to  command  the  Impe- 
rial Footguard,  that  legion  of  giants. 

Lefebvre  was  not  only  an  extraordinary  warrior  but 
an  exceptional  husband.  He  was  the  same  to  Catharine 
as  if  his  uniform  had  never  changed,  and  the  great  eagle 
of  the  Legion  of  Honor  that  covered  his  breast  had  in 
no  way  interfered  with  the  impetuosity  and  openness  of 


245 

his  heart.  They  jeered  at  the  conjugal  fidelity  of  these 
two  excellent  married  people  in  the  Imperial  court,  but 
Napoleon,  who  held  to  an  apparent  severity  of  manners 
in  his  entourage,  congratulated  Lefebvre  and  his  wife  on 
the  example  they  gave  to  the  household  of  the  other 
officers  of  his  empire,  an  example  which  was  seldom  fol- 
lowed, least  of  all  by  the  Emperor  himself. 

The  Emperor,  however,  occasionally  made  some 
questionable  observations  to  Lefebvre  on  the  vivacity 
and  freedom  of  the  Marchioness. 

"  Excuse  me,"  he  said,  as  he  playfully  pinched  Le- 
febvre's  ear,  "but  mention  to  your  wife  not  to  raise 
her  skirts  quite  so  high  at  the  receptions  as  though  she 
were  about  to  give  a  dance  at  the  Vauxhall.  You  see 
we  are  not  all  the  time  indulging  in  sport  and  my 
court  is  not  that  of  Pere  Duchesne.  And  then,  just  one 
more  suggestion,  you  won't  mind  now,  Lefebvre?" 

"  Certainly  not,  sire,"  responded  the  Marshal,  be- 
cause he  recognized  the  justice  in  everything  the 
Emperor  said. 

"  Well,  it  is  this,  your  wife  is  all  the  while  quarreling 
with  my  sisters,  with  Elisa  particularly.  Now,  my 
court  is  not  a  drinking  saloon  where  one  expects  to 
hear  females  wrangling." 

"  Sire,  Madame  Bacciochi  constantly  reproaches  the 
Marchioness  with  her  humble  origin,  her  republican 
principles  and  her  patriotic  expressions.  Certainly  you 
and  I  are  republicans." 

"  Without  doubt,"  said  Napoleon,  laughing  at  the 
expression  of  Lefebvre  who,  like  many  of  the  old 
soldiers  of  the  army  of '92,  thought  they  were  serving 
the  republic  in  fighting  for  the  Emperor.  To  these 
simple  and  valiant  soldiers,  Napoleon  was  the  revolu- 
tion crowned. 

"Lefebvre,  my  old  comrade,"  replied  the  Emperor,"  tell 
the  Marchioness  it  is  my  desire  that  she  should  try  and 
get  along  with  my  sisters  as  pleasantly  as  possible." 


246 

"  Sire,  I  will  deliver  to  the  Marchioness  the  observa- 
tions of  your  Majesty.  I  promise  you  she  will  conform 
with  them." 

"  If  she  can,"  murmured  the  Emperor,  "  I  hope  I  am 
not  demanding  the  impossible,  but  the  first  instinct  of 
all  of  them  is  to  quarrel."  And  then  walking  rapidly 
down  the  passage,  he  turned  into  his  room  saying 
beneath  his  breath,  "  What  folly  it  is  for  a  man  to 
marry  while  he  is  a  sergeant."  And  as  the  door  closed 
behind  him,  he  continued,  "  but  my  fault  is  almost  equal 

to   Lefebvre's.     He  married  a  washerwoman,  and  I 

humph  !     A  divorce  can  remedy  that,  but" 

As  if  to  escape  from  his  thoughts,  he  took  from  the 
pocket  of  his  white  coat  a  pretty  little  enameled  box  and 
opening  it  he  enjoyed  the  odor  of  the  fresh  tobacco 
within.  He  never  smoked.  Once  only  he  tried  it,  and 
that  was  when  the  Ambassador  from  the  Porte  pre- 
sented him  with  a  superb  Turkish  pipe,  and  he  had  only 
taken  a  few  puffs  when"  he  rushed  to  the  window  for 
fresh  air  and  as  soon  as  he  recovered  from  his  nausea 
and  wiped  the  smoke  from  his  eyes,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Take  away  that  infection  !  the  pigs  !  "  and  he  un- 
ceremoniously sent  the  pipe  back  to  the  astounded 
Ambassador.  From  that  time  no  one  ever  dared  sug- 
gest smoking  to  him. 

After  having  refreshed  his  mind  by  the  scent  of  the 
tobacco,  Napoleon,  as  if  impressed  with  a  grave  thought, 
stepped  from  his  room  again  and  called  to  Lefebvre. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  your  wife  to  take  some 
lessons  from  Despreaux,  the  dancing-master.  He  is 
familiar  with  all  the  best  traditions  of  ceremony  and 
elegance  at  the  old  Court." 

Lefebvre  concurred  in  the  suggestion  of  Napoleon  and 
at  once  upon  leaving  the  Emperor  asked  that  Des- 
preaux should  be  sent  to  him. 

The  dancing-master  was  a  distinctive  and  interesting 
person.  Small,  thin,  quick,  gracious,  smiling,  powdered, 


247     

nervous,  lie  had  passed  through  the  Terror  in  his  dan- 
cing-shoes without  receiving  so  much  as  one  spatter  of 
blood.  When  the  moment  of  revolt  had  passed,  when 
pleasures  began  again  and  the  doors  of  the  salons  were 
thrown  open  to  society,  Despreaux  became  an  indis- 
pensable man. 

He  restored  a  lost  art,  he  was  the  single  repository 
of  polite  tradition,  of  the  complicated  mazes  of  the 
dance  which  for  the  young  people  offered  fabulous 
joys  and  a  paradise  of  pleasure.  With  his  pirouettes, 
his  courtesies,  his  twirls,  he  effaced  the  souvenirs  of  the 
Revolution  and  initiated  the  new  regime  into  the 
ceremonies  of  the  old. 

It  was  on  the  occasion  of  Despreaux  coming  to  the 
palace  of  the  Marchioness  Lefebvre  that  she  had 
left  orders  to  be  awakened  at  ten  o  clock,  after  re- 
turning late  the  night  before  from  a  soiree  given  by 
Josephine. 

She  found  the  professor  of  elegance  and  graces 
practicing  some  new  steps  before  the  mirror  in  her 
waiting-room. 

"Ah!  you  there,  M.  Despreaux,  and  how  is  your 
health  ? "  she  said  in  a  lively  tone,  seizing  his  hand, 
which  he  had  not  extended  and  shaking  it  violently. 

Despreaux,  flushed,  astonished,  abashed,  because  the 
marchioness  had  interrupted  him  in  his  second  move- 
ment of  the  grand  salute  which  he  had  just  devised, 
withdrew  his  hand  from  the  grasp  of  Madame  Sans- 
Gene  and  smoothing  down  the  laces  around  his  wrists, 
he  bowed  coldly  and  responded  : 

"  I  have  the  honor  of  being  at  the  disposal  of  Madame 
Marchioness." 

"  All  right,  little  one,"  Catharine  exclaimed,  sitting 
down  on  the  edge  of  a  table,  "  the  Emperor  finds 
there  are  not  enough  good  manners  in  his  Court ;  he 
says  we  are  not  distinguished  ;  you  understand  what  he 
wants,  don't  you,  my  boy?" 


248 

Despreaux,  irritated  by  the  familiar  tone  of  the  mar- 
chioness, responded  in  his  squeaky  little  voice  : 

"His  Majesty  is  right  in  saying  his  Empire  has 
the  charms  and  the  elegances  of  a  police  court.  I  am, 
Madame  Marchioness,  the  respectful  interpreter  of  his 
wishes.  Do  I  understand  you  desire  particularly 
to  acquaint  yourself  with  the  art  of  the  world  that 
will  give  satisfaction  to  His  Majesty?" 

"That's  it,  that's  just  the  thing,  old  boy.  There  is  to 
be  a  great  ball  of  the  Court  on  Tuesday  and  they  are 
going  to  dance  a  gavotte  ;  it's  going  to  be  danced  right 
under  the  very  eyes  of  the  tyran — the  Emperor,  I  mean, 
and  I  want  to  learn  it,  right  off." 

"  Madame  Marchioness,  the  gavotte  is  a  very  difficult 
thing ;  it  is  hard  to  understand  ;  it  has  very  many 
changes.  Perhaps  you  know  how  beautifully  it  was 
danced  by  Madame  la  Dauphine  ;  I  had  the  honor  of 
being  her  professor."  said  Despreaux,  with  modesty. 

"  Well,  we  will  try  it  now.  And,  say,  the  Emperor 
knows  I  don't  dance  it  half  badly;  he  often  used  to  see 
me  dancing  the  gavotte  when  I  was  washing  his  clothes, 
but  its  Lefebvre  that  insists  upon  you  teaching  me.  Go 
on,  now  get  your  place  for  the  gavotte." 

And  Madame  Sans-Gene  tapped  twice  on  the  floor 
with  her  right  foot  as  if  she  were  calling  an  opponent  at 
a  fencing  contest.  Despreaux  imperceptibly  raised  his 
shoulders  and  sighed  ;  to  him  the  disappearance  of  the 
aristocracy  was  mournful  and  the  vulgarity  of  the  time 
made  him  weep  at  the  loss  of  good  manners.  To  teach 
the  gavotte  to  washerwomen  who  by  the  grace  of 
victory  had  become  powerful  ladies,  was  to  him  a  dis- 
graCe.  He  approached  Catharine  with  impatience  and, 
taking  his  place  at  her  right  side,  asked  : 

"  Have  you  ever  danced,  madame  ? " 

"  Often,  at  the  Vauxhall !  " 

"  I  don't  know  it  !  "  said  Despreaux,  compressing  his 
lips  until  his  mouth  took  on  an  appearance  of  great 


24Q     

severity.     "  And  what  dance  did  you  enjoy  there?     The 
courante,    the    pavane,    the    passe-pied,    the  trenis,   the 
monaco,  the  minuet?" 
"  No,  the  fricassee  !  " 


Despreaux  could  with  difficulty  suppress  a  sob  as  he 
said  : 

"The  dance  of  laborers  and  washerwomen." 

"  1  danced  it  with  Lefebvre  ;  that's  the  way  we  got 
acquainted  and  engaged." 

The  professor  of  elegance,  with  a  melancholy  expres- 
sion he  could  not  repress,  thought  to  himself,  "  In  what 


250     • 

sort  of  a  world  am  I  thrown,   I,   the  dancing-master  of 
Madame  la  Dauphine?" 

And  with  a  sort  of  concentrated  sadness  he  began  his 
instruction  to  Catharine  Sans-Gene  of  the  elements  of 
that  noble  dance  which  Napoleon  wished  to  introduce 
at  the  fetes  of  his  Court. 

XXXIV. 

THE    CLAP    OF    THUNDER. 

CATHARINE  was  exhausting  herself  in  waving  her 
arms,  extending  her  joints,  bending  and  drawing  back 
her  feet  in  cadence  to  the  shrill  squeaking  of  a  fiddle 
on  which  Master  Despreaux  was  executing  a  little  tune 
of  Paesiello's,  when  the  door  was  opened  violently  and 
Lefebvre  appeared. 

He  was  in  full-dress  uniform,  covered  with  embroid- 
ery and  wearing  a  huge  plumed  hat.  Napoleon  re- 
served to  himself  the  right  to  wear  the  little  plain  head- 
gear in  which  posterity  always  sees  him  represented 
with  the  gray  great  coat,  whether  on  horseback  or 
pillar,  asleep  in  bivouac,  or  wounded  before  Ratisbon. 

The  golden  eagle  on  the  breast  of  Lefebvre's  coat 
sparkled  with  diamonds,  the  great  crimson  sash  of  a 
Marshal  of  France,  tasselled  with  gold,  crossed  his  chest. 

Lefebvre  appeared  to  be  violently  agitated  : 

"  That's  the  way  things  go,"  cried  he  as  he  entered 
the  room,  and  like  a  drunken  man,  haggard,  and  with 
convulsed  features,  he  threw  his  hat  on  the  floor  and 
shouted  : 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !  " 

Then  he  ran  to  his  wife,  kissed  her  and  clasped  her 
to  his  bosom. 

"In  heaven's  name!  what's  the  matter?"  said 
Catharine. 

Master  Despreaux,  interrupting  the  agile  step   which 


2SI       

he  was  demonstrating  to  his  refractory  pupil,  came  for- 
ward flourishing  his  leg. 

"  Is  the  Emperor  dead,  Marshal  ?" 

For  reply  Lefebvre  delivered  a  Vigorous  kick  which, 
catching  the  dancing-master  in  the  lower  part  of  his 
back,  caused  him  to  pirouette  after  a  fashion  not  pro- 
vided for  by  the  laws  of  the  terpsichorean  art. 

Despreaux  recovered  his  position  and  saluting  grace- 
fully, said  : 

"  M.  le  Marshal  made  a  remark  ?" 

"  Keep  cool,  Lefebvre,  keep  cool  !  Tell  us  what  has 
happened  ?  Despreaux  asked  you  if  the  Emperor  were 
dead.  That  surely  can't  be  ?" 

"  No,  of  course  it  can't !  The  Emperor  can't  die,  the 
Emperor  will  live  for  ever.  It  is  quite  a  different  affair, 
Catharine.  We  are  going  away  !  " 

"Whither,  husband. — I  mean  M.  le  Marshal,"  said 
Catharine,  glaring  ironically  at  the  dumbfounded 
Despreaux. 

"  I  don't  know  where  we  are  going,  but  we've  got  to 
be  there,  and  quickly,  too.  I  fancy  to  Berlin." 

"  That's  a  long  journey,  isn't  it?"  asked  Catharine 
simply.  She  was  not  strong  in  her  geography. 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Lefebvre,  "  but  our  jour- 
ney is  not  long  for  the  Emperor  !  " 

"  And  when  do  we  start  ?  " 

"  To-morrow !  " 

"  So  soon  ?  " 

"  The  Emperor  is  in  haste.  These  Prussians  have  a 
hard  cheek,  the  Emperor  never  did  them  any  harm. 
Once  before  they  came  to  invade  France  with  the 
Austrians,  the  English,  the  Russians,  the  Spaniards,  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  !  Well,  they  were  pardoned  ! 
It  seems  it  was  a  petty  state,  but  there  were  a  good  many 
intelligent  men  there.  The  Emperor  liked  them.  He  al- 
ways spoke  well  of  a  man  by  the  name  of  Goethe,  a  fellow 
who  wrote  for  the  newspapers.  He  would  have  made 


252 

a  count  of  the  rascal  if  he  had  been  a  Frenchman,  just 
as  he  would  have  made  a  prince  of  a  chap  called  Cor- 
neille,  a  Rouen  boy,  only  he's  dead." 

"  And  so  the  Emperor  intends  to  thrash  these 
Prussians  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  strange  to  say,  he  thinks  it  will  be  a  dif- 
ficult job.  These  Prussians  are  nothing  to  us  ;  this 
country  can  scarcely  be  said  to  exist.  The  Emperor 
insists  it  will  be  a  glorious  war — well,  he  knows 
best.  It's  his  business,  after  all,  not  mine.  Our  busi- 
ness is  to  strike  for  him, — whenever  he  shows  us  an 
enemy  to  demolish  that  enemy.  But,  all  the  same,  I 
feel  humiliated  at  drawing  my  sword  against  a  pitiful 
little  nation  like  the  Prussians.  There  is  no  credit  in 
crushing  such  weak  adversaries." 

"  Pardon  me,  Marshal,  but  these  Prussians  have  had 
Frederick  the  Great  for  their  king,  and  every  year  they 
celebrate  the  victory  of  Rasbach,"  Despreux  ventured 
to  remark,  keeping  a  prudent  distance,  however,  for  fear 
of  getting  another  hoist  from  the  Marshal's  foot. 

Lefebvre  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Rasbach?  don't  know  it;  ancient  history,  I  suppose, 
besides  the  Emperor  wasn't  there.  Where  he  is,  victory 
is;  he  is  never  beaten." 

"That's  true,"  said  Catharine,  "what  a  man  he  is,  to 
be  sure  !  Do  I  go  with  you,  Lefebvre  ? " 

"  If  you  like,  as  far  as  the  frontier.  The  Emperor  is 
taking  the  Empress  along.  It's  just  a  military  prome- 
nade— a  simple  promenade.  Ah,  Catharine,  this  war 
breaking  out  so  suddenly  will  be  like  a  thunderbolt  from 
a  clear  sky.  Have  you  seen  Henriot?" 

"  He  is  waiting  to  attend  you,  as  you  desire." 

"  Good,  I  will  present  him  to  the  Emperor.  This  sud- 
den war  may  help  to  advance  him.  Go  fetch  him  !  ' 

Catharine  started  to  obey,  Despreux,  always  willing, 
offered  his  services  and  hastened  to  the  door  in  advance 
of  Catharine. 


253 

"  Pardon,  fair  lady,"  said  he. 

He  had  no  time  to  finish,  a  violent  kick  caught  him  in 
a  tender  part,  and  Lefebvre's  voice  rolled  out ; 

"Will  you  clear  out,  d — n  you,  we  are  soldiers  here, 
not  acrobats !  " 

Despreaux  departed,  rubbing  the  small  of  his  back, 
cursing  the  rough  manners  of  soldiers  and  regretting 
the  days  when  he  taught  deportment  to  Madame  la 
Dauphine. 

Catharine  brought  a  young  sub-lieutenant  in  the 
room,  Lefebvre  ran  to  him  and  wringing  his  hand 
violently,  said  : 

"  Henriot,  good  news  !  " 

"  What  news,  godfather  ?  " 

"  War  !  " 

"  Who  is  going  to  fight,  and  where  ?  " 

"  You  young  jackanapes,  you  may  not  be  there,  I  must 
speak  to  the  Emperor  for  you.  Do  you  imagine 
everybody  may  have  this  honor  of  dying  for  the  Em- 
peror. However,  I  trust  you  may  be  admitted  to  that 
privilege." 

Henriot  delighted,  cried  out : 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  godfather  !  When  will  you  present 
me  to  His  Majesty?" 

"  Immediately;  there  is  to  be  a  review  of  the  Imperial 
Guard,  you  shall  come  with  me,  and  my  wife  shall 
speak  for  you  to  the  Empress." 

"  Yes,  I'll  go  and  find  Josephine  at  once.  You  shall 
go,  my  boy,  I  promise  you  that." 

A  roll  of  drums  was  heard  under  the  window. 

"  Come,  make  haste,"  said  Lefebvre,  "  the  Emperor  is 
mounting  his  horse,  the  review  will  soon  begin.  ' 

And  he  dragged  off  young  Henriot,  while  Catharine, 
ringing  the  bells,  crying  out,  overturning  Lise  and  two 
other  women  who  came  to  answer  the  loud  calls,  finished 
dressing  to  visit  the  Empress. 

This  was  in  September,  1806. 


254     — 

The  French  Empire  covered  two-thirds  of  Europe, 
Napoleon  upon  a  throne  built  of  trophies  and  banners 
ruled  over  nations  and  kings.  Opening  the  session  of 
the  legislative  body  he  had  said,  truly: 

"  The  Royal  House  of  Naples  has  ceased  to  reign. 
Her  crown  is  lost  for  ever.  The  Italian  peninsula  is 
reunited  to  the  great  Empire.  I,  as  supreme  chief,  have 
guaranteed  to  the  rulers  and  to  the  constitutions  which 
govern  the  different  parts  of  that  Empire,  their  ancient 
rights  and  laws.  I  am  happy  to  say  my  people  have 
done  their  duty.  From  the  depths  of  Moravia  I  have 
not  ceased  to  receive  testimonies  of  affection  and  en- 
thusiasm for  France,  and  that  affection  I  glory  in  far 
more  than  in  the  extent  of  the  Empire  and  its  wealth." 

At  this  height  of  glory  and  power  Napoleon  seemed 
to  be  stricken  by  vertigo.  He  committed  the  folly, 
the  mistake,  of  giving  kfngdoms  to  his  brothers  instead 
of  making  allies  and  feudatories  of  the  native  sovereigns 
by  leaving  them  to  the  government  under  his  aegi.  He 
was  a  victim  of  family  affection  and  heaped  honors  upon 
people  who  were  ungrateful  in  misfortune  and  obstruc- 
tions in  prosperity. 

Joseph  Bonaparte  was  King  of  Naples  and  the  two 
Sicilys.  Louis  was  King  of  Holland. 

Elisa,  the  maiden  of  Saint-Cyr  during  the  first  epi- 
sodes of  this  history,  was  Princess  of  Lucques  and 
Piombino. 

Caroline,  Mme.  Murat,  became  Grand  Duchess  of 
Berg. 

Pauline,  widow  of  General  Leclerc  and  remarried  to 
Prince  Borghese,  was  Duchess  de  Guastalla. 

All  the  sisters  of  the  Emperor  were  jealous  and  quar- 
relsome ;  not  one  was  satisfied  with  the  lot  assigned  to 
her  by  that  all-powerful  brother. 

"  It  seems,"  said  Napoleon,  half  in  jest  and  half  in 
anger,  "as  if  I  had  deprived  them  of  a  part  of  their 
heritage  from  the  late  King,  our  father. 


255 

The  campaign  of  1806,  which  was  just  beginning, 
served  to  increase  and  accentuate  the  rivalries  and  envy 
of  the  Imperial  family. 

The  war  broke  out  suddenly. 

The  victory  of  Austerlitz  should  have  decided  Prussia 
to  preserve  its  neutrality.  If  she  wished  to  attack  the 
colossus  of  the  West  she  should  have  done  so  when 
Austria,  Russia,  England,  Switzerland  and  the  two 
Sicilys  were  her  allies.  To  do  so  now  was  folly. 

Her  daring  was  the  work  of  the  most  unfortunate 
self-confidence  and  of  the  most  perilous  illusion. 

Her  statesmen,  her  philosophers,  her  schoolmasters 
with  Fichte  at  the  head  went  about  everywhere  preach- 
ing war  and  crying,  "  Down  with  France  !  " 

With  an  infatuation  of  which  we  have  since,  by 
strange  reversal  of  things,  given  example,  her  military 
men  declared  themselves  ready,  equipped,  invincible. 
The  people,  excited  by  the  speechmakers,  forced  on  by 
the  students  and  the  ballad-makers,  spoke  of  nothing 
save  the  Great  Frederick  and  boasted  in  their  beer 
cellars  to  make  another  Rasbach  under  the  walls  of 
Paris. 

The  Prussians  were  forgetful  they  had  a  country 
unprotected  by  mountains  and  which  Napoleon  could 
readily  invade  and  into  which  the  French  army  could  find 
an  easy  route,  and  could  throw  itself  upon  the  imperfectly 
organized  corps  of  the  Prussian  army.  But  Prussia  was 
blinded  ;  she  had  persuaded  her  people  that  this  was  to 
be  a  national  war  ;  patriotic  pamphlets  had  been  dis- 
tributed in  lavish  profusion  ;  they  aroused,  enthused, 
intoxicated  the  nation,  and  so  effectively  that  it  has 
been  said  in  this  campaign  of  1806  Napoleon  found  him- 
self for  the  first  time,  confronted,  not  by  paid  fighters 
obeying  more  or  less  a  mercenary  discipline,  but  a 
nation  in  arms  resolved  to  dispute  the  advance  of  a 
stranger  on  its  soil.  Vanquished  in  1806  as  was  France 
in  1814,  Prussia  lost  its  battles,  but  preserved  its  honor. 


256    

When  Marchioness  Lefebvre  entered  the  salon  of  the 
Empress  she  was  animated  with  an  irrepressible  excite- 
ment. The  news  of  the  declaration  of  war  was  known, 
and  each  citizen  anxiously  asked  his  neighbor  when  the 
Emperor  had  arranged  to  depart.  The  Marchioness 
spoke  for  all  when  she  asked  the  Empress  for  this  infor- 
mation. 

"  I  know  nothing,"  Her  Majesty  replied,  "  His  Majesty 
has  told  me  simply  I  am  to  make  preparations  to  leave. 
I  shall  go  with  him  as  far  as  Mayence." 

"  Lefebvre  has  told  me  to  go  with  him,  also,"  said  the 
Marchioness.  "  I  always  take  pleasure  in  being  with  the 
soldiers.  Ah,  Your  Majesty,  it  is  very  hard  to  be  con- 
tented in  a  palace  ;  I  much  prefer  a  bed  in  the  camp. 
But  do  we  leave  to-morrow,  or  to-night  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  say  ?  "  answered  the  Empress,  tossing  her 
head.  "  You  know  how  the  Emperor  acts, — decides  quick- 
ly, secretly,  as  if  he  were  going  to  leave  the  next  minute, 
and  no  one  knows  when  he  really  intends  leaving.  All 
the  world  waits  on  him.  He  goes  when  it  pleases  him. 
He  has  told  me  to  be  ready.  I  am  ready.  When  His 
Majesty  gives  the  word  I  shall  walk  down  stairs,  step 
into  my  carriage  and  that  is  all  I  know  about  it." 

"  Oh  we  are  used' to  this  tap  of  the  drum,"  responded 
the  Marchioness.  "  I  do  want  to  know  whether  Your 
Majesty  has  seen  the  Emperor  this  morning  and  whether 
his  humor  is  good." 

"  You  have  something  to  ask  of  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Madame,  I  have  an  adopted  son,  young  Henriot, 
a  nice  boy,  now  twenty-one  years  old  and  already  a 
second  lieutenant.  He  wants  authority  to  accompany 
Lefebvre." 

"  If  it  would  give  you  any  pleasure,  my  dear  Mar- 
chioness, I  will  take  your  protege  in  to  my  service." 

"  Many  thanks,  Your  Majesty,  but  it  is  in  battle,  not 
in  the  ante-chamber  that  Henriot  would  gain  his  stripes. 
It  is  not  for  nothing  that  he  is  the  son  of  Lefebvre." 


257 


"  Ah,  well,  we  will  see  he  has  an  opportunity  to  be 
killed,  if  that  is  his  great  envy." 

"  Your  Majesty  is  too  good,"  said  Catharine,  delighted 
with  the  promise.  Her  adopted  child,  the  son  of  Neip- 
perg  and  Blanche  de  Laveline,  would  attain  glory  and 
serve  the  Emperor. 

The  sound  of  echoing  shouts,  mingled  with  the  loud 
roll  of  the  drum  and 
the  shrill  notes  of  the 
trumpets,  interrupted 
their  further  discus- 
sion and  called  both 
ladies  to  the  window. 
In  the  court  the  Em- 
peror reviewed  the 
Grenadiers  of  the 
Guard.  Beside  him 
rode  his  generals,  des- 
tined to  command 
grand  armies  and 
lead  them  to  great 
victories  :  Lefebvre, 
Bernadotte,  Ney,Lan- 
nes,  Davout,  Augerau 
and  Soult.  Mortier, 
commander  of  there- 
serves  in  Westphalia, 
and  Murat,  comman- 
der-in-chief  of  the  en- 
tire cavalry  force  of  the  nation,  marched  past  the  Em- 
peror at  the  head  of  this  troop  of  heroes. 

After  having  minutely  inspected  the  men,  as  was  his 
custom,  the  Emperor  stopped  before  the  drum-major  of 
the  Grenadiers,  tall  and  dignified,  wearing  a  high  hat 
surmounted  by  a  gigantic  plume,  his  baton  raised  in  the 
air,  ready  to  give  the  signal  for  a  burst  of  music,  and 
the  Emperor  said: 


258     

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  Violette,  sire  !"  responded  the   man  in  a  mild  voice. 

"  You  have  seen  service  ? " 

"  Always,  sire  !  " 

"  Good  !  "  said  the  Emperor,  who  was  ever  attracted 
by  quick,  brief  replies.  "  Are  you  acquainted  with 
Berlin  ?  " 

"  No,  sire." 

"Do  you  want  to  go  there?" 

"  I  go  where  my  Emperor  wills." 

"  Very  well,  Violette,  prepare  your  trumpets  and 
bugles;  in  one  month  you  shall  be  the  first  man,  with 
baton  high  in  air,  to  enter  the  capital  of  the  King  of 
Prussia." 

"  We  shall  enter  it,  sire." 

"Violette,  how  tall  are  you?"  Napoleon  demanded 
abruptly,  looking  with  astonishment  at  the  former  aide 
to  the  cantiniere,  who  had  certainly  grown  consider- 
ably since  he  had  become  drum-major  to  the  Grena- 
diers. 

"  Sire,  I  am  five  feet,  eleven  inches." 

"  You  are  as  tall  as  a  tree  !  " 

"  And  you,  my  Emperor,  are  as  great  as  the  world  !  " 
said  Violette,  filled  with  joy  in  talking  with  Napo- 
leon, and  unable  to  contain  the  expression  of  his  en- 
thusiasm. Napoleon  smiled  at  the  compliment,  and 
turning  to  Lefebvre,  he  said  : 

"  Call  my  attention  to  this  drum-major  on  some  other 
occasion,  Marshal." 

Lefebvre  saluted.  The  Emperor  continued  his  in- 
spection. On  a  signal  from  the  Marshal,  the  drums 
burst  forth,  the  trumpets  rang  out  and  the  Grenadiers 
of  the  Guard,  that  phalanx  that  did  so  nobly  at  Jena, 
Eylau,  Friedland,  and  Waterloo,  marched,  superb,  in- 
vincible, terrible  before  their  impassable  god,  who 
stood  with  his  hands  clasped'behind  his  gray  coat. 

And  as  the  baton  of  Violette  was  lowered  to  stop  the 


drums  and  the  bugles,  a  great  cry  went  up  from  this 
forest  of  men,  strong  and  upright  as  a  forest  of  oaks,  a 
cry  that  might  have  been  heard  in  that  distant  Prussia 
where  they  were  to  follow  their  victorious  master  : 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !" 

Napoleon  with  a  slight  blush  of  pride  crossing  his 
sallow  face,  said  to  Lefebvre,  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  I  think  that  my  cousin,  the  King  of  Prussia,  is 
rather  late  in  repenting  of  having  provoked  me.  With 
these  followers,  I  would  make  war  on  God  Himself, 
were  He  even  at  the  head  of  His  legions  of  archangels 
commanded  by  Saint  Michael  and  Saint  George.  Mar- 
shal, embrace  your  wife.  We  leave  to-night." 


XXXV. 

THE    COMMITTEE    OF    THE    RUE    BOURG    I/ABBE. 

IN  the  centre  of  Paris  is  the  Rue  Bourg  1'Abbe,  one 
of  those  tortuous  passages  peopled  by  a  colony  of 
workingmen  in  single  rooms,  and  where  the  light  of  day 
is  rare  and  the  humidity  is  persistent.  On  the  same  day 
the  Emperor  passed  his  Grenadiers  in  review  at  Saint 
Cloud,  there  might  have  been  seen  in  that  street  at 
nightfall  seven  or  eight  people  leaning  against  the  walls, 
gliding  cautiously  through  the  smoky  passage  to  reach 
a  gloomy  building  whereto  was  attached  a  sign  to  the 
effect  that  it  was  occupied  by  a  cabinetmaker. 

The  mysterious  shadows  of  men  disappeared  one  by 
one  in  the  doorway  of  this  place  and  the  portal  was 
closed  quietly  behind  them.  By  eight  o'clock,  eighteen 
men  were  met  together  in  the  large  room,  which  was 
furnished  with  a  small  table  and  a  plain  wooden  chair 
and  lighted  by  two  chandeliers. 

Some  one  in  a  loud  voice  said: 

"  Citizens,"  and  the  person  who  spoke  was  a  young 


260 

man  clothed  in  the  uniform  of  an  army  surgeon,  "  if  you 
are  ready,  we  will  open  the  meeting.  We  have  the  min- 
utes to  read  and  the  reports  to  hear." 

"  Yes,  we  will  begin.  Open  the  meeting,  Marcel," 
responded  one  of  the  number,  and  his  remarks  were  in- 
dorsed by  the  voices  of  all  the  others. 

Marcel,  the  major-aide  at  Jemmapes,  approached  the 
table,  struck  upon  it  twice  with  a  paper  cutter  and  said 
gravely:  "  Comrades,  the  meeting  is  opened." 

All  the  members  present  arose,  and  throwing  aside 
their  cloaks,  exposed  to  view  their  uniforms  as  officers 
of  the  army.  Marcel  looked  over  the  assembly  saying: 

"  Comrades,  I  will  call  the  roll,"  and  taking  a  sheet  of 
paper  from  his  pocket  he  rapidly  called  off  the  names  of 
those  in  the  room  :  Florent,  Guyot,  Ricord,  Baude, 
Blanchet,  Gariot,  Delavigne,  Baudemont,  Bournot, 
Jacquemont,  Ricard,  Liebant,  Gindre,  Lemarc,  Poilpre, 
Rigomard,  Bazin,  Demaillot,  Guillaume,  Louvigne  and 
Marcel. 

"  Present,"  each  responded  to  his  name.  Marcel  then 
took  another  paper  and  read  :  "  Minutes  of  the  meeting 
held  on  the  first  Friday  of  August,  1806." 

During  the  reading  of  this  document  let  us  glance 
at  the  personages  assembled  in  this  strange  place 
at  the  end  of  a  court  in  the  lower  extremity  of  the 
Rue  Bourg  1'Abbe.  It  was  the  monthly  reunion  of 
the  Philadelphes,  a  secret  society  that  had  been  founded 
by  Joseph  Oudet,  who  was  known  by  the  name  of  Philo- 
poemen  as  several  of  the  members  passed  under  classic 
names,  Cato,  Spartacus,  Themistocles  and  similar  con- 
ceits. The  majority  of  the  society  were  originally 
republicans,  but  foreigners,  royalists  and  agents  of  the 
English  government  had  gradually  become  associated 
with  it  so  they,  at  that  time,  constituted  a  very  respect- 
able minority. 

The  object  of  the  Philadelphes  was  to  bring  about  the 
assassination  of  Napoleon. 


The  association  originated  in  the  Jura  and  was  brought 
into  existence  under  the  title  of  the  Alliance,  its  recruits 
coming  largely  from  the  army  ;  the  unhappy  Moreau 
who,  having  gloriously  served  France  and  immortalized 
himself  by  his  fine  retreat  from  Germany,  perished 
shamefully  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy ;  the  traitor 
Pichegru  became  an  active  member.  Based  on  an 
invitation  of  the  Society  of  the  Philadelphia — the  name 
of  an  organization  in  Philadelphia,  United  States, — this 
association  had  its  ramifications  in  England,  America, 
Russia  and  Italy.  It  also  affiliated  with  other  secret 
groups,  mostly  military,  the  Miquelets  of  the  Upper 
Pyrenees,  the  Barbets  of  the  Alps,  the  Bandoliers  of  the 
department  of  the  Franche-Comte,  the  Freres-Blanc  and 
others. 

The  ostensible  purpose  of  the  Philadelpheswas  mutual 
aid^encouragement  of  friendly  relations  and  reciprocal 
support.  The  assassination  of  the  Emperor  was  not 
disclosed  in  the  initiation  to  be  the  final  object  of  the 
society,  and  as  the  members  were  divided  into  three 
ranks,  those  in  the  third  rank  were  alone  made 
acquainted  with  the  grand  secret.  The  members  of  the 
first  and  second  degree  knew  nothing  of  the  matters  of 
the  third.  The  Supreme  Chief,  or  Censor,  was  elected 
by  selection  from  a  list  of  twenty-five  candidates  pre- 
sented to  the  three  grades  successively.  At  each  grade 
ten  names  were  taken  off,  so  when  the  list  reached 
the  third  grade  there  remained  but  five  to  consider. 
One  condition  only  was  imposed  as  a  qualification  for 
this  office,  the  chief  must  be  a  military  officer. 

The  emblem  of  the  Philadelphes  was  a  star  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  Extraordinary 
precautions  were  taken  to  conceal  the  meeting-places 
of  the  society,  for  at  this  time,  when  we  find  the  con- 
spirators come  together  in  a  shed-like  building  in  the 
Rue  Bourg  1'Abbe,  the  police  of  Fouche  or  those  of 
Dubois,  were  striving  to  apprehend  some  one  member 


• 262     • 

of  this  vast  organization,  which  had  its  influence  in   all 
the  regiments  of  the  Empire. 

Colonel  Oudet,  or  Philopoemen,  was  thirty  years  of 
age;  he  was  an  elegant  and  courtly  gentleman,  his  counte- 
nance was  gracious  and  pleasing,  his  manners  were  gal- 
lant; under  the  air  of  an  apparent  preoccupation  he 
made  himself  peculiarly  popular  with  the  ladies,  but  he 
was  cold  and  uncompromising  in  the  hatred  he  bore  for 
Napoleon.  He  was  absent  from  Paris  upon  the  occasion 
of  the  meeting  which  was  now  in  progress,  an  order 
having  reached  him  to  rejoin  his  regiment  at  Besanfon 
in  view  of  the  imminent  war  and  the  cencentration  of 
the  French  troops. 

The  higher  circle,  or  third-grade  members,  who  were 
meeting  upon  this  night  embraced  some  of  the  most  em- 
inent republicans  who  had  fought  valiantly  against  the 
King  in  '93.  Marcel  having  served  in  the  wars  of  the  Re- 
public and  of  the  Consulate,  retained  the  sentiments 
which  then  inspired  him.  He  attributed  the  results  that 
had  followed  the  war  to  the  tyranny  of  Bonaparte,  and 
although  he  opposed  the  conflicts  of  later  years,  he 
performed  his  duty  to  the  wounded  on  the  field  of 
battle  with  zeal  and  devotion.  We  have  seen  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  accompany  Catharine  Lefebvre  when 
she  went  on  her  adventurous  mission  among  the  ruins 
of  the  Chateau  de  Lowendaal,  and  we  have  also  seen 
he  was  happy  when  he  restored  little  Henriot,  saved 
through  his  efforts.  Marcel  wanted  a  universal  repub- 
lic founded  on  fraternity  and  peace,  where  all  men, 
laying  down  their  arms  would  exchange  the  products 
of  their  common  labor  and  celebrate  their  joyous 
fetes  together.  With  these  sentiments  he  was  among 
the  first  to  join  the  Philaddphes;  he  became  its  secre- 
tary and  was  known  by  the  name  of  Aristotle. 

When  the  minutes  had  been  read  and  adopted 
without  observation,  Marcel  gave  his  attention  to  the 
correspondence  of  the  society.  This,  he  declared,  was 


263     

interesting  and  came  from  many  pans  of  the  world, 
from  new  members  in  many  regiments  that  were  re- 
garded as  the  most  enthusiastic  in  their  devotion  to  the 
Emperor.  The  agitation  the  society  had  carried  on  was 
having  its  effect,  the  mothers  of  families,  startled  at  the 
repeated  conscriptions  which  every  year  robbed  them 
of  their  children,  urged  their  husbands  to  join  the  ranks 
of  the  Philadclphes.  The  press  speechless,  the  orators 
mute,  gave  greater  force  to  this  secret  propaganda;  the 
country  was  ripe  for  independence. 

As  the  suppressed  applause,  moderated  in  fear  that 
some  agent  of  police  was  within  hearing  distance,  died 
away  after  the  reading  of  these  communications,  the 
door  of  the  apartment  opened,  and  a  man,  still  young, 
of  easy  manners,  wearing  powdered  hair  with  the 
coquetry  of  a  patrician,  entered  saluting  with  dignity 
the  comrades  there  assembled.  He  wore  a  long  tail 
coat  buttoned  up  to  the  chin,  and  he  held  in  his  hand  a 
cane  with  a  golden  head. 

"  Citizens,"  said  Marcel,  indicating  the  new  arrival, 
"permit  me  to  present  to  you  our  companion  Leonidas, 
who  comes  to  us  recommended  by  our  chief,  Philopoe- 
men,  he  who  will,  perhaps  become  the  Washington  of 
France.  He  will  tell  you  this  occasion  is  favorable  to 
make  an  end  of  the  tyrant." 

"  The  time  has  never  been  so  favorable  !  "  exclaimed 
the  new-comer,  "  and  I  will  tell  you  why,  comrades,  I 
will  give  you  the  reason:  war  has  been  declared  !  " 

"Approach,  comrade  Leonidas,  and  explain  your  plan 
to  the  Philadelphes"  said  Marcel,  at  the  same  time  giv- 
ing him  the  only  chair  that  was  among  the  slender  fur- 
nishings in  the  meeting-room  of  the  committee  on  the 
Rue  Bourg  1'Abbe. 


XXXVI. 

THE    PLAN   OF    LEONIDAS. 

LEONIDAS  in  his  fluent  way  described  briefly  the  proj- 
ect to  the  higher  circle. 

He  began  by  making  a  passionate  attack  upon  Napo- 
leon; he  reproached  him  with  immeasurable  ambition,  his 
dreams  of  conquest,  his  Corsican  origin,  his  proclivities  as 
a  bandit.  He  would  not  venture  to  question  his  genius  as 
an  organizer,  or  contest  his  talents  as  a  military  leader, 
but  he  dwelt  with  unconcealed  admiration  upon  Moreau, 
Massena,  Bernadotte,  all  the  generals  who  added  to  the 
torrent  and  to  the  great  works  that  were  carrying 
Napoleon  forward  to  glory.  He  declared  the  time  was 
propitious  and  they  could  not  fail  finally  to  beat  down 
the  tyrant  and  restore  liberty  to  France. 

The  war  had  begun.  At  the  head  of  a  formidable  army 
Napoleon  would  quickly  force  his  way  over  the  plains  of 
Westphalia,  of  Hanover,  of  Brandenbourg.  He  would 
rest  there,  it  would  be  important  he  should  not  leave 
the  turbulent  Prussians  and  return  to  Paris  expecting 
this  distant  country  would  remain  quiet  without  his 
hand  to  force  it.  Such  being  the  case  news  from  the 
capital  would  reach  him  rarely  and  it  would  take  long 
in  travelling.  Before  that  time  a  revolution  would  be 
successful. 

"Yes,"  shouted  Leonidas  with  energy  at  the  risk  of 
being  overheard  by  any  police  agent  who  might  be 
about;  "it  is  not  necessary  Napoleon  should  be  really 
dead;  it  would  be  sufficient  if  news  to  that  effect  were 
circulated  in  France;  the  rumor  that  the  Emperor  was 
dead  coming  in  the  universal  excitement  of  the  war 
would  overthrow  the  Empire." 

"  Bravo,  Citizen  Leonidas,"  said  one  of  the  members, 
"  then  you  would  profit  by  the  absence  of  the  Emperor 


to  noise  about  the  report  of  his  death,  but  what  part 
could  you  take  to  put  down  the  anarchy  which  such  an 
announcement  would  call  forth  in  the  country?" 

"  All  that  is  provided  for,"  Leonidas  calmly  replied, 
and  continued  : 

"  A  decree  will  be  rendered  by  the  Senate  which  will 
invest  me  with  the  command  of  the  army  in  Paris. 
General  Massena  will  be  charged  with  the  duty  of 
commander-in-chief  of  the  armies  engaging  the  enemy. 
The  National  Guard,  by  another  decree,  will  be  reor- 
ganized and  General  LaFayette  will  be  made  com-* 
mander-in-chief." 

"And  what  have  you  decided  for  the  interior?" 

"  Our  Senate  has  prepared  itself  to  name  a  provisional 
government." 

"  Their  names !  Give  us  their  names  !  "  Marcel 
exclaimed. 

"  They  are  citizens  Garat,  Destutt,  de  Tracy,  Lam- 
brecht,  General  Moreau,  the  former  member  of  the  Di- 
rectory, Carnot ;  these  will  constitute  a  part  of  the  pro- 
visional government  to  be  presided  over  by  a  military 
man." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  I  shall  be  President." 

"  Good  !  and  this  government  you  propose  to  call 
republican  ? " 

"  What  other  regime  for  the  country  do  you  expect  we 
would  support  ?"  and  Leonidas  looked  severely  at  the 
Marquis  de  Louvigne.who  had  put  the  question.  "We 
shall  abolish  the  conscription  ;  we  shall  exclaim  to  the 
whole  of  France  'You  shall  have  greater  rights';  we 
shall  declare  to  Europe  it  shall  be  peace,  not  war  ;  we 
shall  have  no  more  levies  of  men  ;  France  shall  enjoy 
in  peace  the  fruits  of  its  glory  and  the  advantages  of  its 
alliance  with  the  other  nations.  That  is  what  we  offer  to 
the  people.  Delivered  from  the  tyrant,  we  will  proclaim 
a  new  Republic,  once  more  erect  the  statue  of  liberty." 


As  the  speaker  finished,  he  was  rewarded  by  applause 
and  the  members  gathered  about  him  extending  their 
hands  in  congratulations.  Marcel  resumed  his  post  as 
director  of  the  debate,  and  said  : 

"  Citizens,  there  has  been  made  clear  to  you,  put  prac- 
tically to  you  the  plan  of  our  companion  Leonidas  who 
has  given  it  with  the  approbation  of  our  censor  Phili- 
poemen — do  you  wish  to  adopt  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes  !  "  shouted  several  voices. 

"  He  should  tell  us  now  the  date  that  has  been  fixed 
upon  for  the  day  of  the  execution." 

"  That  date,"  said  Leonidas,  "  is  a  secret,  an  absolute 
secret.  At  the  last  moment  you  shall  know  it,  do  you 
accept  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes  !  Death  to  the  tyrant !  Down  with  the 
Emperor  !  " 

"  My  friends,  I  feel  I  owe  it  to  you  that  you  should 
know  something  of  me.  I  have  given  you  the  names 
of  all  the  members  of  the  provisional  government,  save 
one  alone,  mine.  I  owe  it  to  you  that  I  should  com- 
plete the  list." 

There  was  silence  in  the  room,  every  one  leaned  for- 
ward in  the  intensity  of  their  curiosity  to  learn  the 
name  of  this  audacious  conspirator  who  imagined  he 
could  encompass  the  death  of  the  Emperor,  hoped  to 
seize  the  supreme  power,  intimidate  the  Senate,  rally 
his  forces  and  dispose  of  the  army  as  he  wished. 

"  Philadelphes,"  said  Leonidas,  with  great  simplicity, 
"  I  was  born  at  Dole  on  the  28th  of  January,  1754,  I  am 
therefore  fifty-two  years  of  age,  my  father  was  a  chev- 
alier of  Saint  Louis  and  at  sixteen  years  I  was  made 
a  soldier.  I  commanded  a  detachment  at  the  fete  of  the 
confederation,  I  controlled  the  square  of  Besan^on,  I 
was  made  a  general  of  brigade  of  Italy,  where  I  served 
under  my  friends  Championnet  and  Massena;  I  have 
always  defended  my  country;  I  have  loved  my  liberty. 
My  name  is  General  " 


267 • 


At  this  instant,  a  violent  knocking  was  heard  at  the 
door;  it  was  thrown  wide  open,  and  a  young  man  rushed 
in  saying  hurriedly,  but  in  a  whisper  : 
"Quick,  quick  !     Leave  here,  comrades." 
"  What    is  it  Rene  ? "    Marcel    exclaimed,  approach- 
ing the    youth    who    was    none  other  than    Rene,    the 

pretty  sergeant  of 
the  battalion  of 
Mayenne-et-  Loire, 
and  the  faithful 
companion  of  the 
major's  aide. 

"You  will  be 
lost !  If  you  stay 
here  one  second 
more  you  will  be 
taken,  the  agents 


of  Dubois  are  right 
on  my  heels." 
Marcel  sprang  to- 


wards the  centre  of  the  room,  where  he  lifted  a  trap  in 
the  floor,  saying  to  his  companions  : 

"  We  can  get  out  this  way,  it  leads  us  into  the  cellar 
of  a  friend,  an  ally,  and  from  there  we  can  reach  a 
house  on  another  street.  Quick,  the  tyrant  will  look 
for  us  some  time  longer  before  he  can  find  this  retreat. 
Long  live  the  Republic!  " 


"Death  to  the  Tyrant!  Down  with  the  Emperor," 
repeated  the  Philadelphes. 

Marcel  held  the  trap  until  all  his  companions  had 
gone  through  it,  one  by  one.  Rene  waited  until  the 
last,  saying  to  Leonidas  : 

"After  you,  General." 

A  moment  more  and  Marcel  had  closed  the  trap,  while 
the  conspirators  were  in  the  darkness  groping  their  way 
towards  freedom.  As  they  passed  along  through  the 
narrow  path  Marcel  said  to  Leonidas  : 

"  Pardon,  we  interrupted  you  just  at  the  moment  you 
were  going  to  give  us  your  name.  Perhaps  you  will  be 
kind  enough  to  let  me  have  it  now  that  I  might  put  it 
in  the  minutes  of  this  meeting." 

"  True,"  replied  Leonidas,  and  then,  speaking  so  all 
the  others  could  hear  him,  he  pronounced  his  own 
name  and  title  : 

"General  Malet!  " 

XXXVII. 

THE    GLORY    OF    THAT    TIME. 

THE  war  was  begun.  Napoleon  had  prepared  for  it 
with  extraordinary  prudence,  great  circumspection  and 
many  precautions.  Prussia,  on  the  contrary,  with  an 
infatuation  that  we  later  understood,  relying  upon  its 
earlier  military  fame  all  glorious  in  the  souvenirs  of  the 
Great  Frederick,  misled  by  its  politicians,  dazzled  by  its 
military  leaders  who  declared,  in  other  words  but  in  the 
same  pompous  manner  of  our  own  Marshal  Leboeuf 
sixty-four  years  later,  that  they  would  not  leave  a  button 
of  the  Grenadiers,  was  permeated  by  a  spirit  of  impru- 
dence and  mistake. 

A  council  of  war  was  held  on  October  5,  1806,  at 
Erfurt,  under  the  presidency  of  King  Frederick  William, 
the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  Prince  of  Hohenlohe,  Marshal 


269     

de  Mollendorf,  the  cabinet  ministers;  the  general  officers 
participated  in  the  conference  which  continued  through 
two  days. 

It  is  easy  to  gain  battles  on  plans  of  campaigns  that 
have  been  fought  and  where  the  faults  of  the  enemies 
have  been  tested  and  the  chances  have  been  known  so 
as  to  take  advantage  of  them.  Without  committing  the 
error  too  often  of  fighting  a  battle  after  it  had  been 
decided,  and  planning  where  a  victory  might  have  been 
.won  on  a  lost  field,  it  is  certain  the  Prussians  com- 
mitted one  great  fault  at  the  opening  of  their  war. 

Wise  counsel  might  have  prevailed  at  this  conference, 
but  Queen  Louise  assisted  at  the  deliberations  while 
resting  on  the  fauteuil  of  the  King.  She  was  the  evil 
genius  of  Prussia.  She  murmured  in  the  ear  of  the 
King  her  indignation  that  any  thought  of  bowing  to  the 
French  should  be  considered  while  they  still  possessed 
the  grandest  army  of  Europe,  the  army  of  Rasbach.  Did 
not  the  people,  filled  with  enthusiasm  and  animation, 
cry,  "  On  to  Paris  !  On  to  Paris ! "  all  through  the 
streets  of  Berlin  !  And  the  students  in  their  impassioned 
orations  with  which  they  each  night  entertained  their 
beer-garden  crowds  of  bellicose  companions,declared  the 
country  invincible  !  The  philosophers,  the  writers,  the 
thinkers,  in  the  laboratories  and  the  libraries,  urged  the 
extermination  of  the  French  army  and  the  conquest  of 
the  old  provinces  of  the  Lotharingians. 

They  must  advance  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  !  The 
first  victory  would  open  the  road  to  Paris.  And  the 
Queen  said: 

"  You  hesitate,  sire  !  The  people  will  think  you  are 
afraid  !  " 

The  King  feeble,  undecided,  who  could  perhaps  even 
yet  have  stopped  hostilities,  held  to  a  pacific  policy  and 
wished  to  control  the  fervor  of  Queen  Louise,  but  she 
represented  at  the  Council  of  Erfurt  the  national  im- 
prudence, the  popular  passions  which  were  so  wonder- 


270     

fully  overwrought  and  she  echoed  the  sentiment  of  that 
nation  of  fanatics. 

The  advance  was  decided  upon.  In  an  insulting  and 
brutal  note  Prussia  demanded  that  France  immediately 
withdraw  her  troops  to  the  other  side  of  the  Rhine,  and 
set  the  latest  date  for  this  retreat  to  be  October  8. 

Berthier,  Major-General,  delivered  the  note  to  Na- 
poleon. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Emperor,  "  we  will  appoint  a 
meeting  with  the  King  and  keep  it.  Instead  of  being  in 
France  on  October  8,  we  shall  be  in  Saxony." 

The  next  day,  October  8,  the  army  entered  Saxony  in 
three  columns,  and  Murat  at  the  head  of  the  cavalry 
struck  the  opening  blow. 

It  was  the  battle  of  Schleiz.  The  Prussian  General 
Tauenzien  had  the  Twenty-seventh  Regiment  under 
General  Maison,  and  the  Ninety-fourth  and  the  Ninety- 
fifth  Regiments  of  the  line  from  Drouet's  division. 
Murat  with  the  Fourth  Hussars  and  the  Fifth  Chas- 
seurs led  the  charge  himself  and  won  the  first  victory 
of  the  war. 

A  second  battle  was  fought  on  the  loth  at  Saalfield, 
where  Prince  Louis  of  Prussia  was  killed  and  the  vic- 
tory allowed  Marshal  Lannes  to  march  on  to  Jena. 

The  Prussians  were  panic-stricken,  the  streets  of  the 
little  university  town  of  Jena  were  crowded  with  fugi- 
tives, the  bridges  over  the  Saale  were  obstructed  by 
baggage  wagons,  fleeing  artillerymen,  ambulances  filled 
with  wounded.  The  flight  continued  as  far  as  Weimar. 

On  the  i3th  of  October  Napoleon  appeared  before 
Jena.  Soult  and  Ney  joined  him  later  in  the  night; 
Murat  placed  his  cavalry  so  as  to  make  the  first  dash 
into  the  city;  Bernadotte  was  stationed  between  Jena 
and  Naumburg,  at  a  little  town  called  Bornburg,  where 
a  bridge  crossed  the  Saale.  Marshal  Davout  was  sta- 
tioned at  Naumburg,  and  ordered  to  give  his  entire  at- 
tention to  the  army  of  the  Prince  of  Hohenlohe.  Di- 


271      

rectly  before  the  gates  of  the  city  Napoleon  threw  his 
camp,  having  as  support  Lannes  and  his  division.  In  the 
centre  of  a  square  made  by  four  thousand  troops,  Na- 
poleon pitched  his  tent,  and  that  memorable  spot  has 
since  perpetuated  its  fame  in  the  shape  of  a  small  settle- 
ment called  Napoleonsberg. 
Then  with  a  prodigious  activity,  possible  with  no  other 


military  chieftain  who  ever  led  armies  to  conquest,  Na- 
poleon began  to  make  roads  over  which  he  could  drag 
his  artillery  into  an  advantageous  position.  With  a  torch 
in  his  hand,  he  personally  directed  the  work  of  the  en- 
gineers and  went  from  one  point  to  another,  tirelessly 
giving  his  own  direction  for  the  removal  of  the  enor- 
mous rocks  and  the  leveling  of  the  trees  that  stood  in  the 
way  of  his  cannon.  Working  with  brain  and  hands 
harder  than  any  of  his  assistants,  he  gave  every  evi- 
dence of  his  fatigue,  but  refused  to  seek  repose  until  he 


272        

fired  the  first  cannon  with  his  own  hand  and  saw  an 
entire  battery  throwing  its  shells  into  the  city. 

Before  the  bivouac  fire,  sitting  with  a  leg  thrown  over 
either  side  of  his  camp-stool  and  his  hands  clasped  be- 
hind him,  Napoleon  slept  for  a  few  hours  in  the  midst 
of  a  circle  of  his  soldiers  and  the  noise  of  the  heavy  ar- 
tillery. Victory  hovered  above  the  Grand  Army  on  its 
invisible  wings  and  protected  the  sleep  of  the  great 
soldier. 

When  he  opened  his  eyes  a  dense  fog  hung  over  the 
plain,  and  accompanied  by  men  carrying  torches  that  it 
might  be  possible  for  him  to  find  his  way  along  the 
strange  paths,  Napoleon  went  to  the  front  of  his  troops. 
There  he  spoke  to  them  with  energy  and  with  his  ac- 
customed vigor,  he  told  them  he  wished  to  cut  the 
Prussian  line  in  two,  to  separate  it  from  the  Rus- 
sians, and  he  wished  to  make  this  day  an  echo  of  the 
glories  of  Austerlitz.  The  cry  of,  "  Long  Live  the  Em- 
peror/' given  by  Lannes,  was  to  be  the  signal  for  attack. 

The  i4th  of  October,  1806,  saw  a  double  victory — Jena 
and  Auerstadt. 

At  Jena,  where  Napoleon  commanded  in  person,  the 
victory  was  for  one  moment  jeopardized  by  a  false  move 
on  the  part  of  Marshal  Ney. 

At  Auerstadt,  where  Davout  was  disappointed  in  not 
receiving  aid  from  Bernadotte,  the  divisions  of  Friant 
and  Morand  arrived  at  an  auspicious  moment  and 
determined  the  victory.  Bernadotte  allowed  jealousy 
of  the  part  given  Davout  to  play,  to  influence  him  in 
following  the  absolute  letter  of  Napoleon's  order  to 
guard  his  position  at  Dornbourg  and  declined  to  go  to 
the  reinforcement  of  Davout.  It  was  here  that  Bruns- 
wick was  killed  and  Marshal  de  Mollendorf  was  danger- 
ously wounded. 

This  double  and  glorious  conflict  of  the  i4th  of  Octo- 
ber completed  the  panic  in  the  Prussian  army,  the  rout 
was  complete ;  the  cavalrymen  of  Murat  sabred  the 


273     

fugitives  up  to  the  walls  of  Weimar.  But  for  the  inac- 
tion of  Bernadotte  not  a  Prussian  soldier  would  have 
been  left  the  next  day  to  tell  the  tale,  and  Napoleon  in 
his  generous  spirit  said  of  Davout;  "  He  is  entitled  to 
partake  of  the  glory." 


The  night  of  the  battle  Napoleon  making  the  tour  of 
the  field  stopped  at  the  furthermost  point  and  looked 
with  pensive  sadness  upon  a  heap  of  bodies  that  marked 
the  spot  where  the  Prussian  cavalry  made  its  valiant 
charge.  His  aide-de-camp  in  answer  to  a  question  told 
the  Emperor  these  were  the  men  of  the  Thirty-second 


274 

Regiment,  and  Napoleon  moving  up  to  the  frightful 
mass,  raised  his  hat  and  said: 

"  The  Thirty-second,  always  the  Thirty-second.  They 
are  buried  in  Italy,  in  Egypt  and  now  in  Germany. 
They  are  brave  men!  " 

He  continued  his  round  of  inspection,  and  as  he  was 
about  entering  the  village  of  Auerstadt,  he  passed  a 
small  farm  that  had  evidently  been  the  centre  of  a 
lively  engagement  for  many  dead  bodies  lay  about  and 
the  ground  was  strewn  with  broken  muskets  and  swords, 
the  garden  of  the  little  house  was  trampled  into  the 
dirt  and  the  farm  was  a  prairie  of  desolation.  Before 
the  door  of  the  building  there  stood  a  tall  grenadier,  as 
though  he  were  mounting  guard  over  a  deserted  home 
and  a  neglected  graveyard.  Under  his  arm  he  held  a 
long  cane  and  his  figure  and  his  face  looked  familiar  to 
Napoleon  as  he  drew  nearer  to  him.  When  within 
speaking  distance  the  Emperor  recognized  the  man  and 
exclaimed  : 

"What  the  devil  are  you  doing  here,  drum-major?" 

The  drum-major,  thus  addressed,  drew  himself  up  to 
his  full  height,  lifted  his  baton  in  the  air  and  making 
the  proper  military  salute  to  his  general,  he  answered  : 

"  Sire,  I  am  waiting  for  reinforcements." 

"Yes;  but  you  are  the  drum-major  of  my  Grena- 
diers ;  your  name  is  Violette,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sire,  it  is  I,  en  route  for  Berlin,  as  Your 
Majesty  has  ordered." 

"  It  is  well  !  We  shall  go  to  Berlin,  my  brave  boy,  the 
road  is  open  to  us  now.  But  why  do  you  speak  of  rein- 
forcements ? " 

"  Sire,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  take  away  all  my 
prisoners  alone." 

"  Your  prisoners  !     What  prisoners  ? " 

"Prisoners  I  have  made;  they  are  there  in  the  house. 
I  have  shut  the  door  and  I  am  guarding  it." 

"  You  have  made  prisoners,  you  ? " 


275     

"  Yes,  sire;  a  squad.  I  captured  them  with  my  baton; 
they  are  red  dragoons  who  had  dismounted  here  and 
they  surrendered  to  me  because  they  probably  believed 
I  had  a  whole  regiment  behind  me;  then  I  told  them  to 
go  into  the  house  and  I  have  kept  them  there.  That  is 
how  it  happened,  sire." 

One  of  the  officers  attending  Napoleon  had  entered 
the  building  during  this  conversation,  and  now  he  re- 
joined the  suite  saying  that  Violette  had  told  but 
a  portion  of  the  truth  for  he  had  imprisoned  in  the 
building  sixty  dragoons,  who  had  thrown  down  their 
arms  and  begged  that  their  lives  be  spared.  Napoleon 
from  his  horse  looked  with  an  air  of  good  humor  and 
amusement  into  the  haughty  face  of  Violette,  and  said  : 

"  Come  here." 

And  pinching  Violette's  ear,  he  said  : 

"  Who  permitted  you,  a  drum-major,  to  make  prison- 
ers of  war?  I  will  attend  to  you." 

And  raising  his  voice,  he  called  to  his  aide  : 

"  Rapp,  come  here." 

Rapp  moved  his  horse  alongside  of  the  Emperor,  and 
Napoleon,  placing  his  hand  upon  his  aide's  breast,  took 
therefrom  the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  and  reach- 
ing towards  Violette,  he  pinned  it  on  his  coat,  saying  : 

"  Drum-major  Violette,  you  are  a  brave  man. 
Wear  this  symbol  of  your  bravery.  Rapp,  see  that  the 
prisoners  are  taken  into  Jena." 

And  without  waiting  for  the  thanks  of  the  new 
chevalier,  Napoleon  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  con- 
tinued on  his  rounds. 

Violette,  resting  his  hands  on  the  baton,  pensively 
regarded  the  shining  cross  upon  his  breast. 

"  I  am  not  a  coward  ;  I  am  brave  ;  the  Emperor  has 
said  it." 


276 


XXXVIII 

LEFEBVRE    SEEKS    INFORMATION. 

RETURNING  to  his  headquarters  Napoleon  directed 
Rapp  to  summon  Lefebvre  to  him.  Then  making  a 
sign  to  his  secretaries  who,  with  their  portfolios  on  their 
knees,  were  prepared  to  take  down  his  words,  he  began 
to  dictate,  walking  up  and  down  the  confined  space 
and  interrupting  himself  every  now  and  then  to  take  a 
pinch  of  snuff  from  the  open  box  that  lay  upon  the 
table. 

"  Write,"  said  he  to  the  first  secretary:  "  '  The  corps 
of  Marshal  Davout  has  done  prodigies,  the  marshal  has 
had  his  hat  cut  by  an  enemy's  sword,  his  horse  wounded, 
and  he  has  received  a  number  of  Prussian  bullets 
through  his  coat.  He  has  shown  himself  to  be  distin- 
guished for  bravery  and  possessed  of  the  most  exalted 
character  that  a  warrior  can  hope  for.  He  has  been 
ably  seconded  by  Generals  Gudin,  Friant,  Morand,  Deul- 
tanne,  and  by  the  rare  intrepidity  of  his  courageous 
men.  The  results  of  the  battle  are  from  thirty  to  forty 
thousand  prisoners,  from  thirty  to  forty  and  perhaps 
sixty  captured  flags,  300  pieces  of  artillery,  and  immense 
stores  of  ammunition  and  supplies.  We  learn  from  de- 
serters, from  prisoners,  and  from  others  that  the  disorder 
and  consternation  in  the  remnants  of  the  enemy's  army 
are  great.'  ' 

Napoleon  ceased  dictating.  With  him  it  was  impos- 
sible to  write,  his  hand  ran  over  the  paper  as  rapidly  as 
his  thoughts  coursed  through  his  brain.  It  resulted  in 
an  entanglement  of  letters  that  made  his  words  unintel- 
ligible even  to  himself.  The  labor  of  his  secretaries  was 
arduous,  Bourrienne,  Fain,  Menneval,  by  force  of  habit, 
by  the  strictest  attention,  by  losing  sight  of  themselves 


277    

entirely,  had  trained  their  minds  to  follow  the  Emperor 
in  his  feverish  compositions. 

As  was  his  custom,  Napoleon  then  gave  the  first 
secretary  an  opportunity  to  copy  off  his  notes  and 
passed  on  to  the  second. 

"  This  is  to  be  the  fifth  bulletin  from  the  Grand  Army," 
he  said.  "  It  is  to  be  sent  to  the  newspapers,"  and  he 
used  the  last  word  with  a  sarcastic  accent,  resuming  his 
restless  walk  across  the  room  and  beginning  again  his 
dictation  : 

"  The  Queen  of  Prussia  has  several  times  come  within 
sight  of  our  outposts.  She  appeared  to  be  greatly 
excited  and  in  continuous  alarm.  The  evening  before 
the  battle  at  Jena,  she  reviewed  her  regiment  and  was 
constantly  complaining  to  the  King  and  his  generals. 
She  wished  for  blood,  the  blood  of  the  most  precious  in 
her  kingdom.  The  most  capable  generals  of  their 
country,  Brunswick  and  Mollendorf,  were  the  first 
victims  of  her  battle.  " 

The  tone  of  Napoleon  was  sneering ;  it  was  the 
expression  of  contempt  for  the  Queen  of  Prussia  rather 
than  the  relation  of  his  victory  over  a  sovereign  enemy. 
He  stopped  and  hesitated  in  his  dictation  as  though  he 
were  searching  for  a  word,  as  though  his  habitual 
fluency  had  deserted  him  and  he  strove  to  properly  con- 
struct his  phrases.  The  secretary,  surprised  at  this 
unusual  interruption  lifted  his  head  and  looked  at  the 
Emperor  anxiously.  Could  he  be  suffering  ?  Could 
some  sudden  blow  have  struck  this  invulnerable  man 
who  knew  no  fatigue,  no  hunger,  no  thirst,  no  sleep, 
no  idleness  ? 

Napoleon  caught  the  eye  of  his  secretary  and  as  if 
understanding  the  mute  question,  he  said  quickly: 

"  Write,  write,  monsieur:  '  The  Emperor  is  resting  at 
the  Palace  of  Weimar,  where  he  and  the  Queen  stopped 
several  days  before  the  battle.  All  they  have  said  of  the 
Queen  is  true,  she  has  a  pretty  face,  but  little  spirit,  and 


278       

is  incapable  of  anticipating  the  consequences  of  her 
mistakes.  It  would  be  cruel  to-day  to  become  her  ac- 
cuser, because  she  is  suffering  the  remorse  of  the  evils 
she  has  brought  upon  her  country  through  the  influ- 
ence she  exercises  over  the  King,  her  husband.  He  is 
an  honorable  man,  who  wishes  nothing  better  than  peace 
for  his  people.'  " 

Again  Napoleon  paused,  but  this  time  because  an 
officer  entered  the  tent  quietly  and  evidently  not  wish- 
ing to  interrupt  the  secretaries.  The  new-comer  showed 
his  participation  in  the  conflict  for  his  uniform  was  torn 
by  shot  and  the  decorations  on  his  mantle  were  burned 
by  powder.  He  hesitated  at  the  entrance,  waiting  until 
the  Emperor  should  have  finished  his  dictation,  but 
Napoleon  advanced  to  him  at  once  with  a  cheerful  greet- 
ing, shaking  his  hand  warmly  he  said: 

"  My  old  friend,  Lefebvre,  we  haven't  done  badly 
this  time,  what  do  you  think?  " 

"  Sire,  with  you  and  my  Grenadiers,  we  could  not  do 
otherwise." 

"  The  Imperial  Guard  that  you  commanded  has  done 
admirably." 

"The  Imperial  Cavalry  that  Bessieres  commanded  has 
done  superbly,"  said  Lefebvre. 

"  You  have  all  done  admirably,"  replied  Napoleon, 
"  and  I  wish  you  would  say  to  the  Grenadiers  this 
evening,  '  Soldiers,  you  have  pleased  the  Emperor.'  " 

"Thanks  sire,  thanks  !  That  will  be  sufficient.  Do 
you  know,  sire,  that  the  Guard  made  fourteen  charges 
without  a  single  repulse.  And,  sire,  you  gave  me  your 
sword  of  the  Pyramids,  and  now  look  at  it,  it  is  like  a 
corkscrew." 

"  Good,  good,  to  replace  your  sword,  we  shall  give 
you  a  rapier.  You  already  have  a  baton." 

"  I  do  not  understand:     Will  you  explain,  sire  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  have  already  the  baton  of  a  marshal." 

"  That's  true,  but  the  rapier  ?  " 


279 

"Ah,  Lefebvre,  you  are  slow  of  comprehension.  Now 
hear  what  I  say,  you  were  there  at  the  entrance  when 
I  was  dictating  this  note  concerning  the  Queen  of 
Prussia." 

"  Yes,  sire." 

"  With  the  liberty  of  a  soldier,  who  should  always 
speak  the  truth,"  said  Napoleon  with  some  emphasis, 
"  I  want  to  know  what  you  think  of  it,  Lefebvre  ?  " 

"  Well,  sire,  I  would  not  make  war  on  women,  and  if 
I  were  in  your  place,  I  would  allow  the  Queen  of  Prus- 
sia to  rest  in  peace." 

"  She  has  made  this  war,  is  she  not  responsible  for 
my  brave  men  who  sleep  there  without  a  tomb  in  the 
valleys  of  Jena,  in  the  streets  of  Auerstadt  ?  " 

"  The  Prussian  people  demanded  the  war." 

"  The  Queen  set  them  the  example,"  Napoleon 
answered,  spiritedly,  "  The  shopkeepers,  the  workmen, 
the  laborers,  the  artisans  looked  upon  the  war  with 
terror.  Yes,  it  was  a  coterie  of  women  and  of  young 
officers  alone  that  made  this  possible;  there  is  not  a  man 
of  sense  from  Paris  to  Berlin  who  had  not  recognized 
the  end  of  this  affair." 

"  It  is  true  the  Prussians  should  have  considered 
whether  they  could  have  battled  against  Napoleon, 
Lannes,  Ney,  Davout,  Soult,  and  should  not  have  for- 
gotten my  Grenadiers." 

"  Some  lay  the  unhappiness  of  Prussia  to  the  visit  of 
the  Emperor  Alexander.  The  changes  that  have  ap- 
peared in  the  spirit  of  the  Queen,  from  a  timid  and 
modest  woman  occupied  with  the  affairs  of  her  house- 
hold to  have  become  a  turbulent  and  warlike  character, 
has  been  credited  to  the  impression  produced  upon  her 
by  the  attractive  Alexander." 

"Do  you  believe  the  Queen  is  in  love  with  the  Czar?" 

"  She  has  certainly  tried  to  please  him,  she  has  taken 
command  of  a  regiment,  she  has  assisted  in  the  councils 
of  war,  she  has  led  her  husband  around  by  the  nose  and 


she  has  brought  her  throne  to  the  edge  of  a  precipice. 
Oh,  woman  !  woman !  What  unhappy  advisers  you 
have  been  for  sovereigns  !  Return  to  your  firesides  and 
leave  it  to  men  to  wield  the  sceptre  and  the  sword. 
Wait  a  moment,  Lefebvre."  And  turning  back  to  the 
secretaries,  Napoleon  continued  : 

"  Now  add  this  note  to  what  you  have  already  written, 
'  There  has  been  found  in  the  stores  of  the  cities  and  in 
the  dwellings  of  the  country  people,  an  engraving  that 
has  excited  much  laughter'' 

Napoleon  ceased,  he  walked  a  trifle  faster  and  ap- 
peared to  be  at  a  serious  loss  for  some  sufficiently  severe 
expression  he  desired  to  use.  Presently  his  face  lighted 
up  as  though  he  had  discovered  what  he  sought,  and 
with  the  sarcastic  sneer  upon  his  lip  that  was  such  a  per- 
ceptible characteristic  of  his  face  when  he  wished  it  to 
be,  he  continued  : 

11 1  It  was  that  of  the  handsome  Emperor  of  Russia, 
near  to  the  Queen  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  King 
who  is  holding  up  his  hand  taking  his  oath  on  the  tomb 
of  the  Great  Frederick,  at  Potsdam,  to  destroy  the 
French  army.  The  Queen  dressed  somewhat  as  Lady 
Hamilton  is  represented  in  the  English  engravings, 
holds  her  hand  upon  her  heart  and  looks  towards  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  with  a  most  amiable  air.  The 
shadow  of  the  Great  Frederick  expresses  no  indignation 
at  this  scandalous  scene,  his  spirit,  his  genius,  and  his 
voice  was  with  the  nation  that  he  had  esteemed,  and 
which  had  been  able  to  say  when  he  was  its  King  that 
it  would  not  permit  the  firing  of  any  cannon  in  Europe 
without  his  permission.'  " 

Having  dictated  thus  far,  he  stopped,  smiled  visibly 
pleased  with  his  effort  and  looked  toward  Lefebvre  as 
though  seeking  his  approbation.  But  that  general  was 
apparently  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  a  plan  that 
lay  on  the  Emperor's  table.  Napoleon  approached  and 
said  to  him: 


"  That  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  work  ;  it  was  done  by 
an  engineer  of  great  merit,  General  Chasselout." 

"  Ah,  yes  !  "  said  Lefebvre. 

"  It  is  the  plan  of  the  City  of  Danzig,"  continued 
Napoleon.  "  It  gives  the  distances,  the  heights  and  all 
the  positions  about  the  place." 

"Ah,  it  is  Danzig,  certainly!  I  don't  know  Danzig," 
Lefebvre  answered,  his  tone  each  instant  becoming 
more  and  more  indifferent,  and  as  nearly  antagonistic 
•  to  Napoleon  as  he  dared.  But  the  Emperor,  smiling 
and  apparently  not  noticing  Lefebvre's  manner,  con- 
tinued: 

"  You  know  Danzig  very  well,  Lefebvre.  It  is  the 
first  port  of  any  consequence  on  the  Vistula  ;  all  the 
commerce  of  the  North  begins  there  ;  it  has  enormous 
resources  ;  it  is  the  entrance  to  Poland  ;  we  must  go 
there  before  we  go  to  Russia." 

"  That  is  better,"  said  Lefebvre  ;  "  it  would  give  me 
much  pleasure  to  meet  troops  somewhat  more  serious 
than  those  of  the  King  of  Prussia.  When  do  we  go  to 
Russia?" 

"Wait,  a  little  patience,  Lefebvre  !  Russia  is  a  great 
empire,  and  the  difficulties  are  many  to  overcome  ;  she 
is  protected  by  her  vast  expanse,  by  the  cold,  by  the 
difficulties  of  communication,  by  the  scarcity  of  food. 
My  soldiers  would  die  from  famine  and  after  going 
through  the  snows  of  Poland  they  never  could  reach 
the  heart  of  Muscovy  unless  I  can  provide  vast  stores 
to  follow  them.  There  are  no  such  difficulties  with 
Danzig.  It  is  a  place  of  the  very  first  consequence. 
The  King  of  Prussia  has  constructed  there  a  formidable 
citadel.  There  is  a  garrison  of  forty  thousand  Prus- 
sians, reinforced  by  four  thousand  Russians,  to  defend 
it.  The  brave  Marshal  Kalkreuth  is  its  governor,  and 
he  is  a  noble  soldier  that  I  highly  respect.  You  see 
this  tract  of  land,"  and  Napoleon  ran  his  finger  over 
the  plan  that  lay  before  him,  "  is  barren  ;  there  is  not 


282    

a  tree,  not  a  house,  not  a  shrub  to  protect  Danzig  but 
it  has  the  sea  upon  one  side  and  the  Vistula  and  the 
Motlau  upon  two  other  sides;  it  has  powerful  bastions 
and  it  could  inundate  the  only  approach  by  land.  You 
see,  Lefebvre,  as  I  have  said,  Danzig  might  be  impreg- 
nable." 

"  Impregnable,  perfectly,  sire."  Then  thinking  to 
himself:  "What  the  devil  does  the  Emperor  want  to 
tell  me  this  for  ?  What  does  he  expect  me  to  under- 
stand from  these  papers  ?" 

Napoleon  patted  the  Marshal  on  his  arm  and  said  in 
his  peculiar  way:  "  Yes,  Danzig  is  impregnable  !  That 
is  the  reason  I  have  decided  you  must  take  it." 

Lefebvre  could  not  control  a  start  of  surprise. 

"I  !  is  it  I  then  !  Very  well,  sire,  it  shall  be  taken 
with  what,  with  my  Grenadiers?" 

Napoleon  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  still  looking 
intently  at  the  plan  he  said  : 

"  With  that,  foolish  !" 

Lefebvre  was  stupefied;  he  looked  at  the  plan,  then  at 
the  Emperor  in  an  effort  to  understand  what  Napoleon's 
words  meant,  and  how  he  could  capture  a  city  with  a 
piece  of  paper,  because  the  Emperor  emphasized  the 
word  "that"  by  striking  the  plan  sharply  with  his  fin- 
gers. What  did  these  drawings  of  the  engineers  signify 
to  him  ?  He  was  ordered  to  take  Danzig,  well  and  good, 
he  would  carry  it  by  assault  at  the  head  of  his  Grena- 
diers. 

Napoleon  looked  slyly  from  the  corner  of  his  eye  at 
his  old  companion.  He  thought  a  great  deal  of  Le- 
febvre; he  recognized  his  honest  qualities;  he  knew  him  to 
be  the  most  valorous  and  the  most  ignorant  of  all  his  offi- 
cers; Napoleon  believed  in  his  rough  integrity;  he  knew 
the  worth  of  his  outspoken  wife,  Sans-Gene.  For  a  long 
time  he  had  intended  to  give  Lefebvre  some  higher  re- 
ward, some  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  friendship,  the 
siege  of  Danzig  would  present  the  opportunity. 


283     

"Old  man,"  the  Emperor  said  to  him,  "you  take 
Danzig,  and  I  will  promise  you  when  we  return  to 
France  you  shall  have  something  a  great  deal  better 
than  a  seat  in  the  Senate." 

Lefebvre  saluted  the  Emperor,  happy  in  the  absolute 
confidence  he  had  in  his  word  and  in  his  ability  to  make 
it  good.  Napoleon  told  him  to  summon  the  engineer 
Chasselout  and  the  General  of  Artillery  Lariboisiere  for 
conference  with  him. 

"  I  shall  write  this  good  news  to  my  wife,"  said 
Lefebvre  on  leaving  the  Emperor  ;  "  she  will  be  most 
happy  and  at  the  same  time  most  thankful  to  Your 
Majesty  for  these  favors." 

"  Your  wife  ?  Sans-Gene  ?"  said  Napoleon  in  a  sur- 
prised voice.  "  Oh,  do  you  still  think  of  your  wife, 
Lefebvre  ?" 

"Do  I  still  think  of  her?  Why  do  you  ask  me  that, 
sire?  Catharine  and  I  love  each  other  just  as  though  we 
were  two  country  people.  Yes,  we  think  just  as  much  of 
each  other  now  as  we  did  when  she  was  a  washerwoman 
and  I  sergeant;  we  are  no  different  now  that  she  is 
Madame  Marchioness  and  I  the  commander  of  your  Im- 
perial Guard.  Do  I  love  Catharine  ?  Oh,  sire,  my  Em- 
peror !  my  wife  and  my  flag,  of  all  else  I  am  ignorant.  I 
have  never  been  to  school  and  I  know  but  three  duties, 
to  serve  my  Emperor,  to  love  my  wife,  and  to  defend 
the  eagle  you  have  confided  to  me." 

"  That  is  well,  Lefebvre,"  said  the  Emperor,  smiling, 
"when  you  have  taken  Danzig  and  we  have  returned 
victors  all  along  the  line,  you  will  be  able  to  still  further 
reward  your  wife." 

"I  have  already  the  baton  of  a  marshal;  what  else 
would  you  give  me  ?  Oh,  sire,  what  is  it  then  that  you 
wish  to  do  for  me,  to  merit  it  I  would  undertake  the 
impossible  ? " 

"  I  have  said,  take  Danzig  !  " 

"  I   will  go   there  !  "    responded   Lefebvre,  and   after 


284 


bowing  to  Napoleon  he  left  the  tent  and  proceeded  to 
his  own  quarters. 

"  He  has  a  brave  heart,"  murmured  Napoleon  as  he 
looked  after  him;  "  that  is  the  sort  of  man  Plutarch 
tells  of  as  the  soldiers  of  his  time." 

Napoleon  twirled  himself  around  upon  his  heel  and 


then  became  conscious  again  of  his  waiting  secretaries 
who  with  pen  in  hand  were  ready  to  resume  their  work. 
"  Write,  monsieurs,  you,  Monsieur  Fain,  to  Monsieur 
Fouche,  '  My  Dear  Minister, — I  am  very  much  provoked 
at  the  attitude  of  the  French  Academy.  Abbe  Siecard, 
in  receiving  Cardinal  Maury,  said  some  unpleasant 


things  about  the  Comte  Mirabeau.  He  is  a  student 
who  has  declaimed  against  the  Revolution  and  seems 
to  never  make  any  change  in  his  opinions.  Speak  to 
Mirabeau  '  " 

A  few  more  words  ended  his  communication  to  the 
Minister  of  Police,  and  he  passed  at  once  to  another 
subject : 

" '  The  Director  of  the  Opera  must  abstain  from  any 
interference  in  regard  to  the  mechanical  working  of  the 
stage  ;  that  is  my  wish.  I  want  them  to  change  the 
arrangement  of  the  last  ballet ;  I  notice  that  some 
of  the  actresses  are  mounted  on  clouds,  and  it  seems 
to  me  there  is  very  likely  to  be  an  accident' " 

He  passed  to  other  equally  diverse  subjects,  and 
when  he  had  finished,  he  bowed  to  his  secretaries  and 
said  : 

"  Until  we  meet  again,  gentlemen  !  Let  me  advise 
you  to  take  a  little  rest.  To-morrow  we  shall  be  in 
Potsdam  and  the  day  after  we  shall  enter  Berlin." 


XXXIX. 

THE    ENTRY    INTO    BERLIN. 

ON  the  2yth  of  October,  1806,  Berlin  presented  a 
spectacle  so  grand  that  it  recalled  the  most  gorgeous  and 
princely  scenes  of  the  classical  era.  As  the  Roman 
legions  entered  the  cities  that  they  conquered,  so  did 
the  victorious  Grand  Army  make  its  entry  into  this 
capital  of  a  vanquished  state. 

The  city  was  alive  early  in  the  day  to  witness  the 
great  incident,  the  windows  of  the  houses  were  crowded, 
the  balconies  had  their  strength  tested  beneath  triple 
ranks  of  men  and  women;  enormous  crowds  filled  the 
avenues,  the  boulevards  and  the  streets.  The  avenue 
that  extended  from  Charlottenbourg  to  the  King's 


286     

Palace  was  packed  with  a  solid  mass  of  people,  women 
willing  to  be  subject  to  the  awful  pressure  to  satisfy 
their  curiosity  stood  on  tiptoe,  or  clambered  upon  the 
sills  of  the  adjacent  windows;  men  carried  their 
children  upon  their  shoulders;  ladders,  stools,  platforms 
were  used  all  along  the  fronts  of  the  houses,  and  in  the 
narrower  streets  that  were  tributary  to  this  broad  high- 
way. All  eyes  were  turned  towards  the  gate  of  Char- 
lottenbourg,  which  was  still  closed  and  guarded  by  two 
agents  of  police,  who  found  no  other  occupation  than  to 
beat  off  the  street  gamins  in  their  persistent  climbing 
upon  it,  as  an  excellent  vantage-ground  to  witness  the 
approaching  army. 

All  this  mass  of  people  talked  in  a  voice  violent  and 
sad,  individuals  explained  to  other  individuals  around 
them  the  history  of  this  brigand  they  were  about  to  see 
and  the  prodigious  succession  of  events  that  had 
brought  Napoleon  and  his  army  to  Berlin.  A  cry  of 
anger  went  up  from  the  population  oppressed  by  the 
defeat,  but  intimidated  and  subjugated  by  the  grandeur 
of  the  victory. 

The  curiosity  and  desire  to  see  the  great  Napoleon 
near  them,  to  be  able  to  study  his  manner,  the  clothes 
he  wore,  the  way  he  carried  his  head  or  guided  his 
horse,  the  attractions  possessed  by  the  victor  of  forty 
battles  and  also  the  satisfaction  of  looking  upon  his  in- 
vincible soldiers,  of  whose  prowess  extravagant  legends 
had  already  been  made,  dominated  the  sentiment  of 
sadness  and  of  prostration  that  was  found  at  the  bottom 
of  all  hearts.  And  the  interest  was  intensified  by  the 
realization  that  this  was  the  first  occasion  upon  which 
the  French  Caesar  had  demanded  the  spectacular  honors 
of  triumph.  Berlin  was  to  have  the  unhappy  privilege 
of  being  the  theatre  of  a  new  and  extraordinary  enter- 
tainment. 

Presently  a  prolonged  murmur  coming  from  the  dis- 
tance and  bearing  the  ominous  sound  of  an  approach- 


287     

ing  horror,  swept  through  the  crowd  and  passed  from 
mouth  to  mouth  down  the  broad  avenue  and  through 
all  the  neighboring  streets  to  the  palace.  The  Charlot- 
tenbourg  gate  swung  open. 

"  Ah  !  here  they  come  !  " 

Tall  and  brilliant,  looking  down  like  a  column  of  tri- 
umph upon  this  sea  of  humanity,  floated  and  waved  a 
tricolored  plume,  the  aigrette  with  the  colors  of  the 
Revolution,  and  beneath  it  a  high  hat  gorgeously  be- 
decked with  gold. 

Haughty,  imperious,  strong,  surmounted  by  the  plume 
and  the  hat,  his  baton  at  arm's  length  above  him,  step- 
ping through  the  arched  doorway  of  the  Charlotten- 
bourg,  advancing,  menacing,  his  sceptre  poised  for  its 
final  signal . 

Majestic,  grander  than  ever,  his  shoulders  slightly 
swinging  to  the  rhythm  of  the  music  he  had  in  his  mind, 
Violette,  as  the  Emperor  had  promised,  was  the  first  of 
the  conquering  horde  to  enter  Berlin. 

On  his  breast  glittered  the  brilliant  star  of  the  Legion 
of  Honor.  His  face  was  placid,  but  his  eyes  sparkled 
amid  the  eclat  of  this  incomparable  day.  He  swung  be- 
fore the  Berliners  his  long  baton  and  his  plumes  nodding 
to  heaven,  and  he  seemed  to  say: 

"  Look  at  me,  children  of  Berlin!  France  is  the  most 
beautiful  country  in  the  world,  the  army  is  the  most 
beautiful  object  in  France,  the  most  beautiful  regiment 
of  France  is  the  First  Regiment  of  Grenadiers,  and  I, 
its  drum-major,  am  the  most  beautiful  man  of  the  First 
Regiment  of  Grenadiers  !  Look  at  me  well,  children  of 
Prussia,  you  have  before  your  eyes  the  most  beautiful 
man  of  all  the  earth  !  Ah,  if  Catharine — I  should  say  if 
the  Marchioness,  could  see  me  now  !  " 

Because  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart  Violette  was 
possessed  of  a  profound  affection  for  Sans-Gene,  respect- 
ful, innocent,  a  love  as  simple  as  his  heroism  and  as  great 
as  his  stature, 


288 

Behind  the  rolling  drums  was  the  colossal  forest  of 
Grenadiers,  marching  with  a  single  step  like  automatic 
giants.  Following  them  a  long  break  and  then  Davout, 
Lefebvre,  Berthier,  Augereau,  the  glorious  marshals  of 
the  Empire  whose  names  were  familiar  to  the  crowd. 

Then  another  long  break  and  alone,  the  solitary  star 
in  the  orb  of  all  these  brilliant  military  constellations, 
the  centre,  the  sun,  mounted  on  his  white  horse 
with  golden  trappings,  wearing  his  gray  coat  under 
which  could  be  seen  the  uniform  of  a  colonel  of  Chas- 
seurs and  his  white  vest,  came  the  Emperor. 

Behind  him  the  superb  Cuirrassiers  of  the  Guard  com- 
manded by  Generals  d'Hautpoul  and  Nansouty. 

Admiration  stilled  the  crowd,  checked  its  clamors, 
subdued  its  revolt,  commanded  its  respect. 

Thereafter  in  the  midst  of  silence  the  Imperial  cortege 
went  through  the  city. 

Not  a  cry  of  hatred  arose,  not  a  protest  came  from 
the  ranks  of  this  conquered  and  humiliated  people, 
neither  was  there  the  sound  of  applause,  not  a  cheer  at 
the  spectacle  of  these  magnificent  victors  parading  in 
arms  in  the  capital  of  Prussia.  Later  another  cortege 
not  at  Berlin,  but  at  Paris,  the  Prussians,  the  English, 
the  Austrians,  the  Russians,  passed  down  the  Boulevard 
from  the  Bastile  to  the  Place  Vendome  amid  the  frantic 
acclamations  of  miserable  Frenchmen  welcoming  their 
defeat,  the  waving  handkerchiefs  at  the  windows,  and 
the  joyful  cries  of  delirious  women.  "  Long  live  the 
Emperor  Alexander  !  Long  live  the  King  of  Prussia  ! 
Long  live  our  good  friends  the  enemy  !  " 

The  partisans  of  the  Bourbons  imprinted  that  day  an 
indelible  scar  of  dishonor  on  the  face  of  France. 
There  was  an  effort  to  efface  it,  in  the  sublime  and 
tragic  attitude  of  Paris  on  that  unhappy  first  of  March, 
1871.. 

On  that  day  Paris  was  a  desert.  Filled  with  the  con- 
sternation of  a  city  ravaged  by  an  epidemic,  the  doors 


289 

were  shut,  the  windows  were  closed,  the  streets  were 
deserted,  life  was  suspended,  Paris  offered  a  spectacle 
more  dignified  than  did  Berlin,  when  she  greeted  the 
entry  of  the  Grand  Army  in  her  streets.  Our  van- 
quishers rested  like  a  troop  of  suspects  in  a  corner  of 
the  city  without  passing  the  Place  de  la  Concorde. 
And  how  were  their  cavaliers  received  as  they  wheeled 
about  the  obelisk?  By  the  silence  of  the  patriots  behind 
the  barricade,  a  vast  square,  deserted,  sinister,  the  im- 
posing statues  of  the  cities  of  France  with  their  stone 
faces  concealed  by  a  mask  of  black  crepe  that  they 
might  not  see  the  approach  of  the  conquerors. 

Touching  symbols  of  an  overwhelming  patriotism. 

The  entrance  of  the  French  into  Berlin  on  the  27th  of 
October,  1806,  was  not  a  victory  of  adventurers,  of  hired 
warriors,  of  friends  of  England  as  the  unhappy  epoch 
when  the  white  cocard  triumphed  over  us. 

Master  of  Berlin,  Napoleon,  after  having  solemnly 
received  the  keys  of  the  city,  accorded  an  audience  to 
the  magistrates  and  reassured  them  as  to  their  safety. 
The  most  severe  orders  were  given  to  maintain  discipline 
and  prevent  violence,  rioting  and  theft. 

With  great  consideration  the  Emperor  summoned 
Prince  Hatzfeld,  who  was  Burgomaster  of  Berlin.  The 
Emperor  demanded  of  the  Prince  that  he  should  resign 
his  office  assuring  him  his  treatment  would  be  hon- 
orable and  just.  At  the  same  time  he  offered  to  con- 
tinue him  in  the  office  and  volunteered  he  would  not 
in  any  way  interfere  with  the  local  institutions  or 
laws  but  would  permit  the  Prince  to  administer  af- 
fairs as  in  the  past,  on  condition  that  in  such  case  no- 
thing should  be  done  against  the  French.  This  was 
reasonable  and  equitable  and  Prince  Hatzfeld  accepted 
the  condition;  he  earnestly  thanked  the  Emperor  for 
his  goodness  and  swore  upon  the  Bible  he  would,  while 
administering  the  affairs  of  Berlin,  do  nothing  against 
the  French  army  nor  against  its  chief,  nor  would 


290     

he  reveal  to  the  Generals  of  the  King  of  Prussia  any 
movements  of  the  French  troops  with  which  he  might 
become  acquainted. 

Prince  Hatzfeld  took  his  departure;  Napoleon  turned 
to  his  work  with  his  secretaries  when  Duroc  entered 
bearing  a  message  from  Marshal  Lefebvre  that  he  wished 
to  talk  with  the  Emperor. 

"  Why  doesn't  he  come  in  ?"  said  Napoleon  pleasantly; 
"is  it  necessary  for  Lefebvre  to  have  a  letter  of  invita- 
tion, my  ante-chamber  is  for  kings,  not  for  a  marshal 
like  Lefebvre." 

"  It  is  because  he  has  a  young  lieutenant  with  him, 
and  he  was  afraid  Your  Majesty  would  not  care  to  re- 
ceive him." 

"  A  lieutenant  ?    His  son,  perhaps  ?" 

"  No,  sire,  Lefebvre  has  no  son  in  the  army." 

"Tell  Lefebvre  to  come  in  and  his  lieutenant  with 
him." 

Lefebvre  presented  Henriot,  his  adopted  son,  to  the 
Emperor.  Looking  intently  at  the  young  man,  Napoleon 
said: 

"  Your  age  ? " 

"Twenty-one  years,  sire." 

"Second  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Hussars;  your 
general  is  Lasalle.  You  are  the  adopted  son  of  Marshal 
Lefebvre  ?" 

"The  Marchioness  adopted  him,  sire,  on  the  field  of 
battle  at  Jemmapes,"  said  Lefebvre,  making  response 
for  the  embarrassed  young  man. 

"A  fine  combat  that,  Jemmapes.  And  it  was  at  Jena 
that  you  made  your  first  fight,  it  was  a  good  debut, 
lieutenant  !  " 

"  In  what  regiment,  sire  ? "  responded  Henriot  with 
simplicity. 

The  Emperor  laughed,  he  liked  precise  responses,  it 
showed  spirit,  it  augured  well  for  the  young  man. 

"Ah  !     I  have  named  you  lieutenant,"  Napoleon  con- 


291     

tinned  with  a  smile.  "Well,  then,  lieutenant  you  shall 
be  in  the  same  regiment.  Of  course,  if  there  is  no 
vacancy  there  Murat  or  Lasalle  will  give  you  the  first 
one  that  occurs." 

Lefebvre  approached  the  Emperor  and  said  to  him  : 

"  Sire,  I  thank  you  for  our  adopted  child  ;  the  March- 
ioness will  be  very  happy.  He  will  be  worthy  of  this 
promotion  you  have  accorded  him.  Henriot  has  merit, 
and  you  have  done  justice  to  a  true  soldier" 

"  Your  scholar,  Lefebvre  !  " 

"  I  am  proud,  sire.  Henriot,  tell  the  Emperor  some 
things  you  have  done  as  a  justification  for  the  favor  he 
has  just  shown  you." 

Henriot,  blushing  and  hesitating,  failed  to  respond. 

"  You  didn't  stand  trembling  before  Stettin  !  "  Le- 
febvre exclaimed. 

"  The  Emperor  is  more  formidable  than  Stettin,"  the 
young  lieutenant  murmured. 

"  Cannot  you  tell  how  you  took  Stettin  ?"  cried  Le- 
febvre. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  How  is  this  ?  The  Hussars  took  Stettin  !  " 
said  the  Emperor  in  rare  good  humor.  "  Explain  to  me 
how  it  was  !  You  have  not  alone,  I  suppose,  taken  a 
place  that  had  such  a  numerous  garrison,  so  much  ar- 
tillery?" 

"  Sire,  I  had  with  me  a  corporal's  guard  of  Hussars," 
responded  Henriot,  modestly. 

Lefebvre  once  more  came  to  his  rescue  : 

"  This  is  what  he  would  say  to  Your  Majesty  :  Gen- 
eral Lasalle  with  his  Hussars  and  Chasseurs  rode  into 
the  country.  He  is  not  very  well  acquainted  with  that 
country,  Lasalle,  and  he  sent  Second  Lieutenant  Hen- 
riot  with  a  corporal's  guard  of  Hussars  to  reconnoitre 
a  large  village  he  saw  in  the  distance  " 

"  A  corporal's  guard  only  !  What  imprudence  !  Con- 
tinue Lefebvre !  " 

"  Presently  he  arrived  under  the  walls  of  a  large  city, 


292     • 

fortified  and  its  ramparts  bristling  with  numerous 
cannon.  Now,  Henriot,  you  tell  His  Majesty  what  took 
place." 

The  young  man  continued  the  story : 

"  Surprised  at  finding  myself  before  a  place  of  such 
importance  where  I  only  expected  to  discover  a  village, 
I  stopped  !  " 

"  Lasalle  is  brave,  just  as  you  are  Lefebvre,  but  he  is 
terribly  ignorant  of  geography,"  said  the  Emperor.  "  Go 
on  lieutenant !" 

"  I  hesitated  for  a  moment  as  to  what  it  was  best  to 
do,"  responded  Henriot  in  a  somewhat  more  assured 
manner,  encouraged  by  the  amiable  words  of  the  Em- 
peror, "  but  I  had  already  been  seen  by  the  garrison, 
and  they  were  pointing  their  cannon  at  me.  If  I  had 
ordered  a  retreat  to  my  men,  we  would  probably  all  have 
been  killed  and  my  General  would  not  have  known  of 
the  existence  of  this  fortified  place.  All  our  cavalry  was 
scattered  about  the  plain  and  offered  an  excellent  mark 
for  the  murderous  fire  from  the  ramparts.  Without 
very  well  knowing  what  it  was  the  most  prudent  to  do, 
I  drew  my  sword  and  cried  to  my  men,  advance  !" 

"Very  good!  and  then!"  said  the  Emperor,  much 
interested  in  the  recital. 

"  We  advanced  to  the  bridge  and  were  met  by  an  offi- 
cer whom  I  ordered  to  halt,  I  drew  my  men  up  in  line 
and  I  summoned  the  commander  to  surrender,  the  draw 
bridge  was  lowered  and  we  entered.  I  sent  a  messen- 
ger at  once  to  General  Lasalle  and  an  hour  afterwards 
he  entered  the  city.  The  Governor  officially  delivered 
to  him  the  keys  and  the  garrison  were  made  prisoners." 

"  How  many  men  ?  " 

"  About  six  thousand." 

"It  was  fine,  a  magnificent  feat,  I  congratulate  you, 
captain  !  Pardon  me,  chief  of  squadron,"  the  Emperor 
corrected  himself.  "  Lefebvre,  I  congratulate  you  on 
your  son;  tell  Rapp  to  give  me  his  commission  to  sign 


293     

to-day.  Au  revoir,  commandant,  I  shall  keep  my  eye  on 
you.  When  I  read  the  report  of  Lasalle  and  bulle- 
tin the  Grand  Army  I  shall  make  mention  of  this 
action." 

And  Napoleon  extended  his  hand  to  the  young  chief 
of  squadron,  so  rapidly  and  deservedly  promoted. 
Lefebvre  and  his  protege  left  the  room  glorifying  their 
Emperor.  Henriot  followed  the  Marshal  into  the  street 
where  they  walked  rapidly  along  attended  by  the  curious 
glances  of  the  Berliners. 

"  Where  are  we  going  Monsieur  Marshal  ?  "  Henriot 
asked  in  a  tone  of  surprise,  as  he  noticed  Lefebvre 
was  directing  his  steps  towards  a  handsome  building 
situated  not  far  from  the  palace  of  the  King,  where  the 
Emperor  now  made  his  heardquaters. 

"  To  the  Municipal  Palace,  to  see  Prince  Hatzfeld,  the 
Burgomaster,"  replied  Lefebvre. 

"  Why  are  we  going  there  ?" 

"  You  will  know  presently,"  said  Lefebvre  with  a 
curious  smile.  "  Henriot,  have  you  forgotten  your  little 
companion,  Alice  ?" 

Henriot  blushed  as  he  answered  : 

"  How  could  I  forget  her  !  We  have  played  together; 
we  have  slept  together  in  the  canteen  wagon." 

"  Yes,  when  my  good  Catharine  was  cantiniere. 
Alice,  as  you  know,  was  taken  by  her  from  the  midst  of 
bursting  shells  and  in  the  disorder  of  a  surrendered 
city,  that  was  in  1792,  at  Verdun.  We  treated  you  two 
as  though  you  were  brother  and  sister;  perhaps  it  was 
not  prudent." 

"  I  have  felt  very  sad  since  I  have  lost  Alice,  she  was 
so  sweet,  so  amiable,  so  pretty." 

"  Yes,  you  played  the  little  husband  to  her  little  wife. 
Well,  Alice  is  here." 

"In  Berlin?" 

"Yes;  her  family  is  very  poor,  and  as  some  friendly 
relations  existed  between  one  of  the  Beaurepaires  and 


294       

Prince  Hatzfeld,  the  wife  of  the  Prince  took  Alice  and 
she  now  has  her." 

"  And  we  shall  see  her  again,  what  happiness  !  "  cried 
Henriot,  enthused  with  anticipation. 

"  Alice  saw  us  when  we  entered  Berlin;  she  has  talked 
about  us,  about  you  especially,  to  the  Princess,  and  I 
have  received  an  invitation  to  dinner  from  the  Burgo- 
master and  I  am  going  to  take  you  with  me." 

"  Oh,  Monsieur  Marshal,  how  good  you  are." 

"  I  am  good,  eh  !  The  Emperor  sometimes  calls  me  a 
beast.  Well,  I  have  promised  to  take  you  to  dinner  to 
the  Municipal  Palace  and  that  is  where  we  are  going. 
It  is  too  late  for  you  to  refuse  now." 

"  This  day  shall  certainly  be  by  me  eternally  blessed." 

"  I  should  think  so !  A  second  lieutenant  at  noon 
and  chief  of  squadron  at  four  o'clock  !  " 

"  And  now  going  to  see  Alice?  " 

"  Oh,  you  young  people  don't  think  of  anything  but 
pleasure,"  Lefebvre  growled,  "  but  now  attend  to  this, 
young  man,  I  did  not  bring  you  here  and  give  you  an 
opportunity  to  fight  at  Jena  so  that  you  should  wrap 
up  your  sword  in  the  petticoats  of  the  Berlin  women. 
Remember,  you  may  embrace  Alice  and  talk  about  your 
childhood  adventures — but  then,  en  route  !  " 

"  Where  to  ? " 

"To  Danzig." 

"  A  magnificent  place,  the  strongest  in  the  North,  why 
they  say" 

"  Yes,  now  that's  enough  !  There  are  eighteen  thou- 
sand men,  two  hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  redoubts,  a 
canal,  fortifications.  Oh,  its  a  fine  present  !  '* 

"  Certainly ! " 

"  The  Emperor  has  given  Danzig  to  me.  Of  course 
I  have  got  to  take  it." 

"  We  are  going  in  there  ?  " 

"  I  expect  to.  The  Emperor  has  talked  about  my 
Grenadiers  for  that  service,  perhaps  you  think  the  Hus- 


295     

sars  would  do  better,  or  we  might  take  the  citadel  with 
the  cavalry  !  "  Lefebvre  said  ironically,  indicating  the 
disdain  that  he  as  commander  of  the  Footguards  felt 
towards  the  cavalry. 

"The  Hussars  in  Holland  captured  the  fleet,"  re- 
sponded Henriot  with  vivacity,  defending  his  branch  of 
the  service. 

"  In  war  there  is  nothing  impossible.  But  go  on,  have 
it  over,  say  good-day  and  good-bye  to  Alice, — and  then, 
to  horse  !  " 

"  And  you  are  not  going  to  allow  me  to  return  !  " 
said  the  young  man.  "  Oh,  Monsieur  Marshal,  my 
father,  I  have  loved  Alice  since  childhood,  I  love  her 
now  and  I  know  I  shall  die  if  you  say  it  is  impossible 
that  she  shall  sometime  become  my  wife." 

"You  talk  about  marrying!  At  your  age?  You 
haven't  got  time,  you'd  better  attend  to  becoming  a 
colonel." 

"  But,  Monsieur  Marshal,  you  know  very  well  how 
young  you  were  when  you  married  the  marchioness." 

"  Oh,  that  was  different;  I  wasn't  chief  of  a  squadron; 
I  was  sergeant !  Now,  boy,  we  will  talk  about  this 
later — considerably  later." 

"  When  ? " 

"  When  we  have  taken  Danzig." 

"Let's  take  it  quickly." 

"Well,  now  we  will  go  into  the  Municipal  Palace  and 
see  the  Burgomaster  and  all  those  people  who  will  look 
at  us  as  though  we  were  curious  animals.  Ah,  let  me 
caution  you — when  you  write  to  Paris  don't  say  any- 
thing about  all  this  to  the  Marchioness;  she  will  scold 
me." 

And  the  two  entered  the  palace  at  the  door  of  which 
a  Grenadier  presented  arms  and  a  page  hastened  to  an- 
nounce the  coming  of  his  two  guests  to  Prince  Hatzfeld. 


296 


XL. 


THE    WORD    OF    A    PRUSSIAN. 

PRINCESS  HATZFELD  received  the  Marshal  and  his 
adopted  son  with  a  most  gracious  welcome.  The 
Prince  was  reserved,  dignified,  imperturbable. 

Henriot,  happy  to  have  recovered  Alice,  blushing  and 
charming,  thought  of  nothing  but  the  contentment  of 
being  near  her.  All  the  definitions  of  love  that  he  had 
ever  conceived  were  united  in  this  one,  single,  blissful 
situation  ;  he  preferred  to  all  other  happinesses,  to  all 
other  events,  to  all  spectacles,  the  pleasure  of  being 
again  with  his  beloved.  Final  possession,  is  not  that 
the  exasperation  of  sentiment  ?  It  is  the  pyrotechnics 
of  passion.  The  best  of  love  is  not  found  in  the  plenti- 
tude  of  satiety,  but  the  most  delicious  moment  is  when 
they  ardently  desire,  these  twin  souls,  when  they  enjoy 
the  sound  of  the  voice,  when  they  tremble  at  the 
slightest  touch. 

Henriot  and  Alice  talked  in  a  low  voice  during  the 
dinner  which  was  lengthy  and  elaborate,  and  they  knew 
nothing  of  the  polite  conversation  of  those  about  them 
for  they  spoke  only  of  themselves.  They  talked  of 
their  pleasant  past,  they  told  of  the  little  incidents  in 
their  youthful  adventures. 

One  matter,  and  one  alone,  troubled  Henriot  in  this 
delightful  meeting  ;  it  was  that  he  had  no  time  to  put 
upon  his  sleeve  ^the  insignia  of  his  new  rank,  while  the 
sole  disturbing  element  in  the  soul  of  Alice  was  that 
she  could  not  appear  in  the  new  dress  the  Princess  had 
promised  her  for  a  long  time  and  which  had  been  de- 
layed with  the  defeat  of  the  Prussian  army. 


297 

During  the  dinner,  where  the  strict  conditions  of 
German  etiquette  were  scrupulously  observed,  Le- 
febvre  made  an  heroic  effort  to  behave  as  a  man  of 
elegance  and  refinement. 

He  knew  the  sentiments  of  the  Emperor  in  this  par- 
ticular; many  times  he  remembered  how  Napoleon  ob- 
served to  the  highest  dignitaries  of  his  Empire,  that  they 
should  specially  cultivate  the  art  of  knowing  how  to 
deport  themselves  in  the  world. 

"You  are,  Marshals,  Generals,  Chamberlains,  Sena- 
tors," the  Emperor  had  said  to  his  Court,  "You  are,  then, 
gentlemen  of  the  modern  world  that  I  have  created. 
Rise  to  the  heights  where  I  have  placed  you.  Learn  to 
bow,  to  enter  a  drawing-room,  to  give  your  arm  to  a 
lady,  to  converse,  learn  how  to  be  dignified,  imposing, 
distinguished." 

Distinguished  !  That  was  difficult  !  If  the  Em- 
peror had  demanded  only  that  they  should  have  been 
brave,  audacious,  intrepid,  to  risk  their  lives  a  hun- 
dred times  before  the  cannon,  pass  their  days  and 
nights  on  horseback,  in  doing  the  impossible  and  daring 
the  invincible,  that  would  have  been  nothing.  But 
to  be  courtiers,  these  men  of  the  bivouac  and  the  bat- 
tlefield. 

And  the  brave  Lefebvre,  the  rudest,  the  most  out- 
spoken, the  least  educated  Marshal  of  the  Empire,  it 
would  have  brought  on  an  interminable  illness  if 
he  had  followed  the  Emperor's  wishes.  In  secret, 
however,  to  please  Napoleon,  he  bought  a  small  vol- 
ume of  Madame  Campan,  former  instructress  of  the 
French  children,  entitled  :  "  The  Art  of  Living  Prop- 
erly," and  at  night  in  his  tent  beneath  the  eyes  of 
two  sentinels  he  had  studied  the  rules  there  laid 
down  with  the  earnestness  of  a  student  corporal  who, 
desirous  of  reaching  higher  rank,  would  learn  the  theo- 
ries of  war. 

All  the  time   he   was   at    that    interminable    dinner 


298    

Lefebvre  was  patient,  observing,  studious.  He  ab- 
stained from  eating  and  drinking  from  time  to  time  and 
glanced  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left,  closely  watching 
the  manners  of  the  Prince  and  rather  appalled  by  the 
gracious,  dignified  air  of  the  Princess.  Mentally  he 
went  over  the  rules  laid  down  by  Madame  Campan, 
and  he  became  conscious  upon  two  or  three  occasions 
of  having  been  guilty  of  infractions  upon  the  famous 
code  arranged  by  that  estimable  lady. 

In  drinking  a  glass  of  very  superior  Tokay  that  was 
served  to  him  by  the  Princess  herself,  he  could  not  help 
rubbing  his  tongue  over  his  lips  as  he  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  doing  when  he  drank  white  wine  in 
the  Parisian  tunnel  in  company  with  his  intended, 
Sans-Gene,  nor  could  he  refrain  from  the  involuntary 
expression  that  was  sufficiently  loud  to  be  heard  around 
the  table  : 

"In  the  name  of  God,  that's  a  fine  little  refreshment 
that  is  worthy  of  better  acquaintance  !  " 

As  the  Prince  and  Princess  looked  curiously  at  each 
other  and  compressed  their  lips  in  an  attempt  to  restrain 
their  laughter;  Lefebvre  lifted  the  glass  again  in  his 
hand  and  as  he  poised  it  an  instant  in  the  air,  he  said  : 

"  To  the  health  of  His  Majesty,  Napoleon,  Emperor 
and  King." 

The  irony  of  their  smiles  disappeared.  Lefebvre  had 
recovered  his  self-possession,  and  he  extended  his  glass 
towards  the  Princess,  saying  : 

"  A  second  glass,  if  you  please." 

And  raising  this    he  repeated  in  a  firm  voice  : 

"  To  the  glory  of  the  Grand  Army  ;  honor  and  respect 
to  the  Army  of  Prussia  !" 

The  Prince  and  Princess  bowed  slightly  and  touched 
their  lips  to  the  glass,  and  the  dinner  ended  in  a  most 
formal  and  almost  frigid  manner.  Lefebvre  pretended 
to  have  a  report  in  process  of  preparation,  and  was, 
therefore,  compelled  to  leave  at  an  early  hour,  Henriot 


299    

with  him  happy  in  the  thought  of  the  pleasant  moments 
he  had  just  passed  with  Alice. 

"  You  know,  we  leave  to-morrow,"  said  Lefebvre  to 
the  boy  as  soon  as  they  had  emerged  from  the  house. 
"  I  shall  send  an  aide  to  Lasalle  to  ask  him  if  I  may  take 
you  with  me." 

"  I  am  at  your  orders,  my  father.  Only  permit  me  to 
make  my  adieux  to  Madam  the  Princess  and  to  Made- 
moiselle Alice  before  we  leave." 

"  That  is  all  right,"  exclaimed  Lefebvre  energetically 
and  looking  savagely  at  the  young  man,  "  You  will  go 
back  there  if  you  wish  and  present  your  compliments 
to  the  ladies,  but  let  me  whisper  this  to  you:  hold  your 
tongue,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  great  don't  tell  them 
where  you  are  going." 

Henriot  was  taken  aback  and  confused  by  this 
admonition,  because  Lefebvre,  in  giving  it,  showed 
he  had  detected  the  possible  indiscretion  the  young 
man  might  be  guilty  of.  In  fact  Henriot  had  been  on 
the  very  point  of  thoughtlessly  disclosing  the  great  en- 
terprise the  Emperor  had  confided  to  the  Marshal,  but 
at  the  moment  of  his  utterance  he  had  caught  Le- 
febvre's  eye,  he  bit  his  lip  and  was  silent. 

But  the  anger  shown  in  the  face  of  the  Marshal'  and 
the  embarrassment  of  the  youthful  officer  had  not 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  Prince.  It  concerned  a  state 
secret,  he  was  sure,  an  important  move  of  the  troops, 
an  advance  before  the  main  body  of  the  Grand  Army 
left,  perhaps  a  rapid  attack  on  the  flank  of  the  Russian 
army,  now  en  route  across  Poland.  These  surprises 
were  familiar  to  the  genius  of  Napoleon. 

At  this  moment,  when  he  seemed  to  be  entirely  de- 
voted to  the  interior  reorganization  of  conquered  Prus- 
sia, when  every  appearance  indicated  he  was  occu- 
pied only  by  the  fetes  and  spectacles  and  receptions 
he  himself  had  ordered,  the  Emperor  might  be  pre- 
paring for  one  of  those  audacious  blows  that  stupefied 


300     

his  adversaries  and  by  their  very  suddenness  assured 
his  victory. 

So  the  Prince  anxiously  asked  himself  in  what  way 
he  could  learn  the  secret  that  had  been  partly  revealed 
to  him  by  the  young  hussar.  He  spent  some  time  in 
thought  and  contemplation,  studying  the  means  of  pro- 
curing this  information,  and  then  entered  the  grand 
salon  where  the  Princess  was  entertaining  a  party  of 
friends.  Saluting  the  ladies  as  he  passed  before  them, 
the  attention  of  the  Prince  was  attracted  to  a  murmur 
of  low  voices  in  a  distant  corner,  where  he  found  Hen- 
riot  sitting  with  Alice. 

"  Ah  !  this  young  girl,  by  her  help  I  probably  shall 
be  able  to  learn  something,"  the  Prince  said  to  himself, 
while  a  smile  of  confidence  and  hope  came  upon  his 
face. 

He  joined  the  visitors  entertained  by  his  wife,  and 
when  Henriot  arose  to  leave,  the  prince  shook  him  cor- 
dially by  the  hand  saying  : 

"  I  pray,  you,  commandant,  consider  this  house  as 
your  own  during  your  stay  in  Berlin.  But  I  learn  you 
are  going  away  very  soon,  I  hope  not  for  long?" 

"  I  shall  accompany  the  Marshal,"  Henriot  replied 
with  a  little  hesitation. 

"  Oh,  then,  we  shall  know  when  you  are  returning," 
continued  the  Prince  without  any  appearance  of  interest 
in  the  matter. 

When  all  the  guests  had  withdrawn  and  the  Princess 
had  retired  to  her  apartment,  the  Prince  called  Alice  to 
him  and  in  a  paternal  and  unctuous  manner  he  talked 
of  Henriot,  he  spoke  of  her  youth  and  of  the  long  friend- 
ship and  love  she  had  borne  for  the  young  commandant, 
how  thoughts  of  him  must  fill  her  heart,  and  thus 
with  facility  and  naturalness  he  passed  on  to  other  con- 
siderations about  Henriot. 

"You  love  him,  and  I  suppose  he  loves  you  equally 
well;  it  will  be  rather  lonesome  now  to  be  separated 


301     

from  each  other,  but  I  hope  it  won't  be  for  a  very  long 
time;  he  seems  to  be  a  good  fellow;  where  is  he  going, 
do  you  know  ?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  said  Alice,  her  heart  a  trifle  worried 
by  the  peculiar  manner  of  the  Prince,  although  his 
words  seemed  to  be  amiable,  and  he  observed  regret- 
fully that  his  remarks  had  aroused  some  feeling  in  the 
young  girl.  He  therefore  considered  it  useless  to  pro- 
long the  conversation;  he  had  said  enough  to  feel  sure 
that  Alice  the  next  day  when  she  saw  Henriot  again 
would  probably  learn  from  him  his  destination. 

He  awaited  the  coming  of  the  young  man  with  im- 
patience, and  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  following  morning 
the  clatter  of  hoofs  in  the  courtyard  of  the  palace  told 
Henriot  had  arrived.  Leaving  his  horse  in  the  care 
of  a  hussar,  the  young  man  ran  quickly  up  to  the 
salon  and  was  announced  to  the  Princess,  who  excused 
herself  on  the  plea  that  she  was  suffering  just  then  from 
a  slight  indisposition  and  would  leave  him  to  the  care 
of  Alice. 

The  adieux  of  these  two  youthful  lovers  were  sad  and 
brief;  Henriot  had  only  a  few  moments  to  spare  before 
reporting  to  the  Marshal  and  the  departure  from  the 
city  was  set  for  eleven  o'clock.  Just  as  he  was  leaving 
the  door  Alice  timidly  asked  him: 

"  Henriot,  you  have  not  told  me  where  you  are  go- 
ing, I  want  to  follow  you  with  my  thoughts,  I  want  my 
heart  to  be  with  you  in  these  strange  battles  you  are 
going  to  fight  !  " 

"  You  want  to  know  where  the  Marshal  is  going  to 
take  me,  my  Alice  ?  The  curiosity  of  a  woman,  isn't 
it  ?  Well,  it  is  Danzig,  there  is  where  the  Emperor 
is  sending  us,  and  he  orders  us  to  lay  seige  to  the 
city  and  take  it.  You  see,  Alice,  I  have  nothing  secret 
from  you." 

"  Excuse  me,  Henriot,  it  is  not  right  I  should  ques- 
tion you." 


302 


"  Is  it  on  your  own  account,  Alice,  that  you  asked  me 
these  questions,  has  not  some  one  else  been  trying  to 
find  out  from  you  where  the  Emperor  is  sending  us  ? 
Tell  me?"  Henriot  demanded  with  ener- 
gy, the  warning  of  Lefebvre  flashing 
through  his  mind. 

"Yes,  it  was  Prince  Hatz- 
feld,  who  has  questioned 
me;  he  asked  me  if  I  knew 
where  you  were  going.  " 

"  Prince  Hatzfeld?  Then 
he  is  a  traitor  !  "  cried  Hen- 
riot.     "And    he    gave    his 
solemn  oath  to  the  Emper- 
or.     Adieu,    my  dear,  for 
the  present,  I  must 
hasten  back  to  the 
Marshal.    We  shall 
return  when   Dan- 
zig is  taken,  until 
then  be  silent,  not  a 
word  to  the  Prince 
nor  to  any  one   in 
this  place;  happy  is 
she  who  knows  no- 
thing.   Good-by  !  " 

In  his  haste  Hen- 
riot     mistook     the 
exit  and  instead  of 
emerging  on  the  vestibule, 
he  opened  the  door  leading 
into   the    private    room   of 
the  Prince,  and  as  he  threw 

the  door  back  he  found  the  Burgomaster  leaning  for- 
ward with  his  ear  against  the  key-hole  and  manifestly 
flustered  at  the  unexpected  interruption.  Henriot 
closed  the  door  quickly  and  as  he  ran  to  the  courtyard 


3°3     

he  said  to  himself  :  "  The  Prince  has  heard  all;  he  knows 
the  secret  of  our  errand.  There  is  not  a  second  to  lose; 
the  Emperor  must  be  informed.  " 

He  hurried  to  Lefebvre  and  at  once  told  him  of  his 
suspicion,  the  Marshal  sent  Duroc  to  inform  the  Em- 
peror their  destination  had  been  discovered.  Two 
hours  later  a  courier  sent  by  the  Burgomaster  to  the 
King  of  Prussia  was  intercepted  and  brought  before  the 
Emperor.  On  him  was  found  a  letter  from  Prince  Hatz- 
feld  to  the  King  announcing  the  departure  of  Lefebvre 
and  the  projected  seige  of  Danzig. 

Napoleon  was  in  the  most  violent  rage  of  his  life;  he 
shouted: 

"  See  here  the  word  of  a  Prussian!  The  Prince  gave 
me  his  solemn  promise  to  do  nothing  against  us;  on  that 
condition,  which  he  was  free  to  accept  or  not,  I  per- 
mitted him  to  continue  his  titles,  his  rank,  his  preroga- 
tives; I  treated  him  as  an  official  of  my  own  Empire,  and 
this  is  the  return  I  receive  for  my  generosity,  for  my 
decency,  for  trusting  a  traitor.  Well,  he  will  find  that 
my  vengeance  will  be  worthy  of  the  offense;  yes,  general, 
I  shall  make  an  example  of  him.  I  would  pardon  a 
beaten  soldier  who  sought  to  revenge  his  comrades  and 
who  had  thrown  down  his  arms  to  save  his  life;  I  have 
respected  the  exasperated  patriotism  of  those  country- 
men outside  the  city  who,  this  very  evening,  in  am- 
buscade murdered  some  of  our  unfortunate  troops  who 
were  wandering  around  in  small  numbers;  I  am  ready 
to  respect  any  citizen  who  defends  his  country;  I  admire 
the  explosions  of  savagery  and  of  courage  in  the  Mame- 
lukes, but  I  treat  as  reptiles  these  perfidious  gentlemen, 
these  hypocritical  courtiers,  these  lying  courtesans  who 
bend  their  knee  before  me  so  I  may  permit  them 
to  retain  their  fortunes,  their  privileges,  and  that  they 
may  sneak  around  without  any  risk  to  their  courage, 
looking  for  an  opportunity  to  profit  by  the  indiscretion, 
the  passion  of  some  young  girl,  to  listen  at  their  doors, 


3°4     

to  become  thieves  in  their  own  household,  to  act  like 
traitors  in  breaking  their  oath  and  retracting  their 
word.  I  shall  punish  this  Hatzfeld  and  I  warrant  no 
one  else  will  imitate  him." 

"  Sire,  you  are  all  powerful,"  said  Duroc. 

"  I  am  not  feeble,"  answered  the  Emperor.  "  I  have 
reason  for  being  severe;  I  have  no  confidence  in  these 
arrogant  Prussian  noblemen,  these  men  who  live  by  the 
fear  they  inspire.  Friendship,  benefits,  liberality  are 
shown  towards  them  in  vain.  You  counsel  me  to  clem- 
ency in  your  remark,  Duroc.  That  was  well  enough  at 
the  time  of  Cinna,  Augustus  sat  securely  on  his  throne 
in  the  midst  of  a  peaceful  Empire;  he  was  not  eight 
hundred  miles  from  his  palace  in  the  midst  of  an  antag- 
onistic people  and  playing  with  all  sorts  of  treason. 
Duroc,  you  go  and  arrest  Prince  Hatzfeld  within  one 
hour  and  have  him  tried  by  court-martial  to-morrow 
morning.  Go  !  " 

Duroc  saluted  the  Emperor.  It  was  a  useless  labor 
to  resist  when  the  Emperor  spoke  in  this  way. 

Prince  Hatzfeld  was  arrested,  court-martialed,  accused 
of  high  treason,  found  guilty,  sentenced  to  death  and  to 
be  shot  within  twenty-four  hours. 

Davout,  Rapp,  Duroc  made  one  last  appeal  to  the 
Emperor  ;  they  supplicated  him  to  spare  the  Prince; 
he  had  done  as  he  did  through  patriotism;  his  crime 
had  a  legitimate  excuse;  the  Emperor  would  be  more 
feared  in  pardoning  than  in  executing;  he  would  dis- 
arm the  passions  of  those  around  him,  and  would  earn 
the  admiration  of  the  German  people  by  his  act  of 
generosity.  Napoleon  listened  to  these  appeals  and  to 
these  prayers,  but  his  severest  trial  came  with  the  pres- 
ence of  Princess  Hatzfeld. 

Touched  by  her  gentle  words,  his  sentiment  appealed 
to  by  the  thought  of  a  child  yet  unborn  that  would  be 
orphaned,  the  Emperor  listened  with  much  feeling  to 
her  appeal.  As  he  hesitated  Rapp  ushered  in  a  young 


girl  who  came  trembling  before  the  Emperor.  It  was 
Alice,  in  simple  dress,  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  join- 
ing her  prayers  with  those  of  the  Princess.  She  re- 
cited in  broken  words  the  story  of  her  childhood,  the 
care  that  the  Marchioness  Lefebvre  had  given  her,  the 
kindnesses  she  had  found  in  the  home  of  Princess 
Hatzfeld.  She  spoke  of  the  friend  of  her  early  years, 
Henriot,  the  adopted  son  of  the  Marshal  and  with  whom 
she  blushingly  confessed  she  dreamt  of  a  future  happi- 
ness. Would  the  Emperor  be  the  indirect  cause  of 
eternal  anguish  to  her  benefactress  ? 

Napoleon  reflected  seriously  and  slowly,  he  was 
touched  by  the  supplication  of  this  girl,  his  heart  was 
not  all  bronze. 

"You  are  the  fiance  of  Commandant  Henriot,  the 
brave  hussar  who  took  Stettin  with  sixty  cavaliers?" 
said  he,  fixing  his  look  upon  the  young  girl. 

"  Yes,  sire,  and,  with  your  permission,  I  shall  marry 
Commandant  Henriot,  Marshal  Lefebvre  has  already 
given  his  consent." 

"  Good  ?  You  believe  then  that  Marshal  Lefebvre  will 
accomplish  the  mission  I  have  given  him.  Ah,  well, 
mademoiselle,  out  of  regard  for  the  valiant  officer 
who  has  accomplished  one  of  the  noblest  feats  of  the 
century,  I  will  grant  your  request.  You  may  both  rest 
easy."  And  going  to  his  desk,  he  took  from  it  a  letter 
which  he  handed  to  Princess  Hatzfeld  with  these  words: 

"  Here  is  the  proof  of  your  husband's  treason,  ma- 
dame.  The  court-martial  has  pronounced  its  judgment 
based  on  this  proof,  it  exists  no  more.  The  court-martial 
will  be  called  anew,  and  your  husband  against  whom 
no  charge  can  now  be  sustained  will  be  set  at  liberty." 

And  with  a  hasty  and  imperious  gesture,  the  Em- 
peror took  the  letter  again  in  his  hand  and  threw  it  into 
the  fire,  it  was  the  letter  taken  from  the  courier  which 
contained  advices  to  the  King  of  Prussia  that  Mar- 
shal Lefebvre  was  marching  against  Danzig. 


3°6     

As  the  Princess  and  Alice  were  leaving  the  room 
beaming  with  their  happiness  at  the  clemency  of  the 
Emperor,  he,  his  face  covered  with  smiles,  said  to  the 
young  girl  : 

"  If  Commandant  Henriot  does  as  well  before  Danzig 
as  he  did  before  Stettin,  I  will  promise  you,  Madamoi- 
selle,  a  wedding  portion  when  you  sign  your  marriage 
contract." 

And  as  the  Emperor  returned  to  his  work,  he  said  to 
Duroc  : 

"  Well,  Marshal,  I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  me.  I 
have  been  weak,  I  had  no  business  to  pardon  him;  I 
should  have  continued  angry.  I  should  have  made  an 
example.  I  have  done  wrong." 

"  Sire,  your  have  conquered  yourself.  It  is  the 
greatest  victory  Your  Majesty  has  yet  achieved  and 
posterity  will  glorify  this  day  as  one  of  the  most  prom- 
ising in  your  reign,"  responded  the  Marshal. 

XLI. 

BEFORE    DANZIG. 

IN  his  tent  Marshal  Lefebvre  angrily,  impulsively  was 
reading  a  report  that  had  been  rendered  to  him  by  his 
aide-de-camp.  For  some  moments  he  listened  to  it,  and 
then  striking  the  table  before  him  violently  with  his  fist, 
he  exclaimed: 

"  Go  ahead,  go  ahead  !  I  could  do  it  well  enough  if 
I  had  the  men,  six  thousand  Poles,  who  are  as  drunk 
as  Cossacks,  twenty-two  hundred  Badois,  five  thousand 
Danes  that  I  thrashed  at  Jena  and  now  have  to  keep 
under  my  eyes,  because  I  think  they  would  a  great  deal 
rather  be  with  the  King  of  Prussia  than  with  me.  And 
that  is  all  the  Emperor  has  given  me  to  take  this  city! 

"The  Marshal  has  forgotten  the  Second  Regiment," 
said  the  aide. 


3°7 

"  No,  by  God,  I  haven't  forgotten  it;  I  am  going  to  keep 
that  Second  Regiment  for  the  assault;  oh,  if  I  only  had 
my  Grenadiers." 

"  Have  you  any  orders  to  give  for  the  Chasseurs  ?  " 

"  Ah  yes,  the  cavalry  !  They  can't  do  much,  these 
Chasseurs,  they  are  good  regiments,  the  Twenty-second 
and  the  Nineteenth,  but,  the  devil,  how  can  we  take 
fortresses  with  cavalry?  Henriot  might.  What  a  position 
the  Emperor  has  put  me  in.  I  have  just  three  thousand 
Frenchmen,- three  thousand  real  soldiers  and  I  am  ex- 
pected with  these  three  thousand  men  to  take  a  place 
that  is  regarded  as  impregnable.  It  is  true,  I  have  six 
hundred  engineers,  but  that  is  not  much.  It  will  be  well 
earned,  this  present  I  am  to  receive." 

And  the  valiant  Marshal  mounted  his  horse,  impatient 
at  the  delay  in  the  operations  of  the  siege. 

Danzig  was  securely  invested.  The  siege  was 
memorable,  the  most  important  of  the  wars  of  the  Em- 
pire and  it  necessitated  tedious  preliminary  operations. 
From  the  day  the  Marshal  left  Berlin,  accompanied  by 
Henriot,  the  work  had  been  carried  on  with  admirable 
precision  and  with  excellent  judgment. 

When  the  siege  began  General  Schramm,  with  up- 
wards of  three  thousand  Poles  and  a  squadron  of  the 
Nineteenth  Chasseurs  and  a  battalion  of  the  Second 
Regiment,  crossed  the  Vistula  and  landed  on  a  sand- 
bank. The  men  of  the  Second  Regiment  had  the  honor 
of  being  at  the  head  of  each  attacking  column.  The 
Danzig  garrison  made  a  valiant  sortie,  but  the  Second 
Regiment  stopped  them  and  Schramm's  forces  pressed 
them  back  into  the  city.  A  bridge  of  boats  was  thrown 
across  the  river  and  the  advance  post  of  the  French  was 
established  under  the  guns  of  Fort  de  Weichselmunde. 
Two  other  sorties  were  made  and  desperately  fought. 
General  Chasseloup,  who  had  the  full  confidence  of 
Napoleon,  pursued  the  siege  with  uninterrupted  tenacity 
to  the  great  discomfiture  of  Lefebvre,  who  impatiently 


3o8     

informed  him  from  day  to  day  he  wished  to  carry  the 
place  by  assault. 

The  winter  was  severe,  but  thanks  to  the  care  taken 
by  the  Marshal,  the  soldiers  had  no  suffering  in  their 
barracks.  Every  night  great  fires  were  lighted,  and 
joyously  the  men  sang  their  songs  and  brewed  their 
punch  in  their  great  bowls.  The  morale  of  the  troops 
was  excellent,  only  the  brave  Marshal  was  uneasy; 
he  understood  nothing  of  all  these  precautions  that 
were  being  taken  by  the  engineers;  he  wished  to 
be  at  them  and,  like  an  old  warhorse  impatient  of 
restraint  he  kept  his  ears  constantly  strained  for  the 
sound  of  the  advancing  trumpet.  The  day  we  find  him 
in  his  tent,  listening  to  the  daily  report  of  his  aide  and 
interrupting  him  with  his  complaining  comment, 
"  Nothing  new,  always  nothing  new,"  a  council  of  war 
had  been  called. 

General  Chasseloup,  directing  the  engineers'  work, 
and  General  Kirgener,  commanding  the  artillery,  to- 
gether with  General  Schramm,  had  come  to  confer  with 
the  Marshal. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  when  are  we  going  to  end  this  ?  " 
he  asked  of  them  as  soon  as  they  entered. 

"  A  little  patience,  Marshal,  we  are  approaching  them," 
responded  General  Chasseloup." 

"  When  will  it  be  in  condition  for  me  to  assault  ?  Are 
we  to  rest  eternally  here  ?  "  responded  Lefebvre,  who 
imagined  these  scientific  men,  these  men  of  the  pen, 
were  retarding  the  decisive  hour. 

"  Marshal,"  said  Chasseloup,  politely,  "  will  you  throw 
your  eye  over  this  plan.  Here  are  the  surroundings  of 
Danzig,  traced  out  on  this  card,  there  you  find  two 
outworks  separated  by  a  little  village  named  Schild- 
litz  "— 

"When  shall  we  take  this  village?" 

"  In  eight  days  !  " 

"  Not  before  !     Why  not  ?  " 


3°9 

"Because  we  must  first  make  a  false  attack  on  these 
works  to  the  right,  Bischofsberg." 

"  Good,  and  after  the  false  attack  ? " 

"  Then  you  will  order  a  real  attack,  Marshal." 

"  On  which  side  ?" 

"  Here,  to  the  left,  this  redoubt  which  is  named  Ha- 
gelsburg." 

"  Then  we  go  for  Hagelsburg  !  whether  we  strike  to 
the  right  or  the  left,  it  is  just  the  same  to  me  so  long  as 
we  strike." 

"  We  shall  strike,  Marshal,  you  can  be  certain  of  that," 
General  Chasseloup  said  with  calm  placidity. 

"The  quicker  the  better.  But  why  do  we  strike  on  this 
side  and  not  on  the  right  ? " 

"  For  this  reason:  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  my  col- 
league, General  Kirgener,  I  have  chosen  the  works  on 
the  left.  It  is  that  they  are  in  a  better  position  to  per- 
mit us  to  deploy  our  troops,  and  they  cannot  make  a 
sortie  so  well.  It  is  also  open  to  our  attack  from  the 
rear.  On  the  contrary,  Bischofsberg  is  protected  by  a 
ravine." 

"  But  general,  this  ravine  would  do  for  my  soldiers, 
they  could  advance  under  cover.  Why  did  you  not 
choose  the  other  side  ?  There  we  could  throw  our  men 
under  the  walls  of  Danzig  without  taking  any  great 
risks  ?" 

"  But,  Marshal,  how  would  it  be  possible  for  you  to 
make  any  progress  in  the  ravine." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  explain  yourself, 
general  ? " 

Then  the  engineer  went  into  a  long  explanation  to 
the  Marshal  on  the  art  of  capturing  a  city,  and  it  is  not 
extraordinary  that  the  Marshal  was  deficient  in  this 
chapter  of  military  art.  For  the  most  part  the  generals 
of  the  Empire  were  all  ignorant  of  it.  From  the  occu- 
pation of  Vaudan  there  had  not  been  in  Europe  a  regu- 
lar siege,  outside  of  Mantone  the  most  of  the  places  in- 


vested  had  surrendered  without  bringing  the  enemy  to 
the  issue  of  a  siege. 

General  Chasseloup  acquainted  the  Marshal  with  the 
real  difficulty  of  the  position  Napoleon  had  assigned  to 
him;  he  had  more  confidence  though  in  the  company  of 
the  Grenadiers  or  the  light  infantry  to  carry  by  assault 
the  well-defended  fortifications.  It  was  practical  war 
that  the  Marshal  wanted,  the  war  of  scientists  he  did 
not  think  much  of. 

But  by  means  of  trenches  and  other  laborious  work 
they  approached  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  walls  and 
.  finally  got  close  up  under  the  ramparts.  Each  trench 
was  provided  with  cannon  keeping  up  a  continuous 
fire.  This  was  the  promise  held  out  by  Chasseloup  for 
the  termination  of  the  siege. 

"  And  what  shall  we  do  when  we  get  to  the  foot  of 
these  ramparts,"  asked  Lefebvre. 

"  Then,  Monsieur  Marshal,  we  will  make  as  large  a 
breach  as  possible  in  the  walls  by  means  of  General 
Kirgener's  cannon,  and  at  that  moment  our  soldiers  can 
enter." 

The  council  was  concluded  and  the  officers  returned 
to  their  quarters.  The  opening  in  the  tent  was  parted 
and  Henriot,  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  commandant  of 
Chasseurs  entered  visibly  affected. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  now?  Have  you  taken  Danzig  with 
your  corporal's  guard  ?"  asked  Lefebvre,  always  a  little 
ironical  when  he  spoke  of  the  cavalry. 

"  No,  Marshal,  it  is  some  news  I  bring,  two  pieces  of 
news,  one  for  the  army  and  the  other  for  you." 

"  What  is  it  that  concerns  the  army  ?" 

"  The  Forty-fourth  Regiment  of  the  line  detached 
from  the  corps  of  Marshal  Augereau  and  the  Nine- 
teenth of  the  line  coming  from  France  have  arrived  with 
a  detachment  of  artillery." 

"  Bravo  !  Those  are  the  reinforcements  I  was  ex- 
pecting," cried  Lefebvre  with  enthusiasm.  The  Em- 


311 

peror  has  kept  his  word.  Gentlemen,  with  the  Forty- 
fourth  and  Nineteenth  we  can  enter  the  city  within  a 
month.  Now,  Henriot,  what  is  the  other  news  that  con- 
cerns me  ?" 

"Madame  the  Marchioness  is  in  the  camp." 

Lefebvre  sprang  to  his  feet  in  surprise  : 

"Great  heavens,  what  is  she  doing  here,  the  Marchio- 
ness? Has  something  happened  in  Paris?  Do  we 
stand  in  need  of  women  before  Danzig  ?  Does  she  want 
to  see  the  snow,  and  these  trenches,  and  earthworks, 
and  hear  the  thunder  of  a  siege  that  is  not  finished 
yet  ? " 

Then,  when  this  explosion  had  passed,  an  expression 
of  joy  came  upon  his  face — he  exclaimed  : 

"  But  it  will  give  me  real  pleasure  to  see  her  -again, 
my  Catharine.  Henriot,  go,  bring  her  here  quickly,  and 
you,  gentlemen,"  turning  to  the  engineers  :  "  I  trust  you 
will  push  things  ahead  as  rapidly  as  possible,  the  Mar- 
chioness would  be  very  pleased  if  she  could  see  me  take 
Danzig." 

XLII. 

JOSEPHINE'S   SECRET. 

THE  interview  between  the  Marshal  and  his  wife  be- 
gan with  most  affectionate  greetings.  The  first  enthusi- 
asm of  the  reunion  over,  Lefebvre  asked: 

"  And  why  have  you  come  here  ? " 

"  A  State  secret,"  Catharine  replied. 

"  Nonsense  !  " 

"The  Empress  sent  me." 

"Does  she  wish  to  know  whether  I  shall  take  Danzig? 

"  No,  she  wishes  to  know  the  Emperor's  feelings 
towards  her." 

"  The  Emperor  always  has  strong  attachments.  He 
has  passed  his  first  and  second  youth  now,  and  has  be- 
come more  settled.  I  am  sure  he  loves  her  to-day." 


_  ^  T  2  

4<  She  adores  him  !  " 

"  About  time.  When  he  was  general  of  the  army  in 
Italy  she  did  not  have  such  sentiments  for  him.  You 
know  Josephine  was  one  of  the  most  flighty  of  Parisi- 
ennes;  she  had  around  her  a  perfect  suite  of  gallants, — 
Barras,  and  Hypolyte  Charles,  the  beautiful  Charles, 
Adjutant  Leclerc,  and  a  dozen  others.  Ah,  he  loved  the 
women,  too,  our  general,  it  was  a  delirium,  a  pas- 
sion " 

"Why,  yes,  he  did  some  extraordinary  things;  you 
know  at  Milan  he  was  furious  because  she  delayed  com- 
ing to  him;  he  sent  courier  after  courier  to  her;  he  de- 
clared he  could  not  live  without  her"— — 

"  Yes,  and  it  was  just  the  same  when  we  returned  from 
Egypt.  He  really  suffered  enormously  from  the  separa- 
tion, and  one  day  when  he  broke  the  glass  that  was  over 
the  picture  of  Josephine  he  always  carried  in  his  pocket, 
he  said  to  me:  '  Lefebvre,  my  wife  is  either  sick  or  un- 
faithful.' When  we  reached  Paris,  Josephine  had  gone 
to  meet  us  by  the  road  to  Lyon  while  we  had  taken  the 
road  from  Bourbonnais;  he  spent  the  whole  day  in  tears 
in  her  boudoir.  Bonaparte  has  had  a  momentary 
thought  of  divorce  !  Is  that  the  great  news  you  would 
bring  me,  the  secret  you  would  let  me  into  ? " 

"  No,  I  believe  the  Emperor  has  always  been  attached 
to  Josephine,  he  married  her  a  second  time  in  the  church, 
in  Notre  Dame,  he  could  not  have  had  any  idea  of 
divorce  then.  Josephine  has  some  fears,  however." 

"  Has  her  conduct  given  the  Emperor  any  new  reason 
for  complaint  ?" 

"Oh,  no!  The  Empress  is  thirty-seven  years  old;  she 
is  of  a  nationality  that  ages  early;  she  was  affianced  at 
twelve,  a  mother  at  sixteen,  she  is  now  an  old  woman, 
she  is  beyond  suspicion  but  not  reproach." 

"  What  does  the  Emperor  find  fault  with,  then  ?  " 

"  Because  she  has  no  child.  It  is  a  terrible  grief  to  her 
the  realization  that  she  cannot  become  a  mother." 


"  Yes,"  said  Lefebvre  pensively,  "the  Emperor  suffers 
cruelly  in  mind  at  the  thought  he  can  have  no  heir, 
no  one  to  succeed  to  his  colossal  work,  no  one  to  sit 
upon  his  magnificent  throne.  Ah!  if  science  could  only 
give  him  a  son  !  " 

"The  doctors  seem  to  have  lost  their  skill;  Corvisant 
tried  without  effect.  He  says  the  Emperor  is  resigned 
to  the  absence  of  a  direct  heir.  His  brother  Joseph  will 
succeed  him." 

"  Humph  !  His  brother !  Napoleon  is  the  only  one  in 
his  family  !  There  is  Murat,  too,  his  brother-in-law  ;  he 
dreams  of  the  inheritance.  No,  wife,  I  believe  Napoleon, 
in  the  absence  of  his  own  children,  will  adopt  the  de- 
scendants of  Josephine,  the  Queen  of  Holland  and  her 
child." 

"  Little  Napoleon  Charles  ?  The  son  of  Hortense ! 
Do  you  speak  seriously  of  that  child  succeeding  Napo- 
leon?" 

"And  why  not?"  laughed  Lefebvre.  "The  Emperor 
has  always  been  strongly  attached  to  its  mother,  his 
stepdaughter  ;  some  evil  tongues  have  even  " 

"  Yes,"  interrupted  the  Marchioness,  "  they  pretended 
that  when  the  Emperor  married  his  brother  to  Hor- 
tense de  Beauharnais  she  was  about  to  have  a  child — 
and  he  was  its  father.  Ah,  well,  the  gossips  can  talk  no 
more.  Little  Napoleon  Charles  is  dead." 

"  What  is  that  you  tell  me  ?  Dead  ?  The  Emperor 
will  be  prostrated  ;  he  loved  that  child  dearly." 

"  Yes,  and  it  may  disturb  his  calculations.  You  know 
that  I  know  our  Emperor,  and  he  has  subordinated  his 
affections,  all  his  softest  sentiments,  to  politics.  It  is 
that  which  torments  me.  What  will  he  say  when  I 
take  this  unpleasant  news  to  him  ?  " 

"  He  will  not  receive  you  pleasantly  ;  he  will  be  rude." 

"  Bah,  I  shan't  cry  ;  I  will  give  him  his  answer.  You 
know  I  don't  carry  my  tongue  in  my  pocket ;  it  isn't  for 
nothing  they  called  me  Sans-Gene." 


"  But,"  continued  Lefebvre,  "  why  did  the  Empress 
send  you  to  announce  this  unhappy  event  to  the  Em- 
peror ?  People  do  not  ordinarily  wish  to  be  messengers 
with  bad  news  !  I  cannot  understand  why  you  were 
asked  to  travel  across  Europe  to  find  me  in  the  mud 
and  snow  before  Danzig." 

"  Why,  I  have  come  to  consult  you  before  talking 
with  the  Emperor." 

"  What  advice  can  I  give  !  " 

"  I  want  you  to  tell  me  what  I  can  say  in  reply  to 
Napoleon." 

"  Now,  how  can  I  tell  !  I  don't  know  what  the  Em- 
peror will  say  to  you." 

"  I  dread  it." 

"  What  confidence  have  you  received  from  the  Em- 
press ?  What  mysterious  mission  have  you  to  perform  ? " 

"Trust  me,  Lefebvre,  I  understand  my  duty." 

"  And  you  doubt  me,  wife  !  If  you  knew  what  these 
blessed  engineers  have  forced  me  to  bear  with  their 
papers  and  their  plans,  you  would  not  fear  to  acquaint 
me  with  anything  that  is  difficult.  Go  on,  tell  me,  I  am 
all  ears  ! " 

"  Well,  then,  the  death  of  little  Napoleon  Charles  is 
not  only  sad  but  it  has  frightened  the  Empress;  she  has 
consulted  all  sorts  of  people,  physicians,  fortune-tellers 
and  sorcerers  demanding  a  remedy,  an  elixir,  a  drug 
that  will  enable  her  to  be  a  mother.  She  has  taken  the 
waters  at  Luxenil  and  Plombieres  which  are  reputed  to 
have  the  power  to  induce  maternity.  She  is  disconso- 
late, discouraged,  nothing  has  any  effect." 

"  That  is  true !  She  would  share  her  crown  with 
another  for  the  sake  of  one  of  those  blessings  that 
throng  so  plentifully  in  the  homes  of  the  poor;  one  has 
nothing,  another  has  everything." 

"She  dreads  the  sadness  of  desertion;  she  fears  the 
Emperor  will  repudiate  her." 

"  Why,   because    she    can    have    no    children  ?     That 


would  be  unjust.  It  is  not  her  fault.  If  the  Emperor 
consults  me  in  the  matter  I  shall  reply  to  him  that  he 
has  been  acquainted  with  several  ladies,  little  Foures, 
Belilote,  the  pretty  companion  of  his  in  Egypt;  Gras- 
sini.  Mademoiselle  George,  without  counting  the  ladies 
of  the  palace,  the  readers,  the  ladies  of  honor — none  of 
them  have  brought  any  heir  to  Napoleon,  and  they 
have  not  been  altogether  unwilling.  You  understand, 
if  one  had  proved  to  the  Emperor  he  was  a  father,  that 
amiable  friend  would  have  become  a  woman  of  import- 
ance at  once.  But  no  one  has  charged  him  with  being 
a  father.  As  for  Josephine  it  is  different,  she  has  given 
her  proof.  Eugene  and  Hortense  are  living  evidences 
that  she  possesses  the  full  capability  of  her  sex." 

"You  are  right.  Josephine  has  been  a  mother,  but  it 
is  certain  she  must  renounce  the  possibility  of  being  one 
again.  She  is  not  young,  and  Napoleon  believes  that  is 
the  sole  obstacle;  he  does  not  love  her  now  and  it  is 
easy  for  him  to  believe  a  younger  woman  would  give 
him  the  son  he  desires.  Lncien,  Talleyrand,  all  of 
them  counsel  him  to  get  a  divorce;  they  excite  his 
vanity  by  persuading  him  he  can  secure  an  alliance  with 
a  princess,  daughter  of  one  of  the  monarchs  of  Europe." 

"  Yes,  they  say  this  devil  of  a  Talleyrand,  this  meddler 
and  renegade  whom  I  never  see  without  feeling  inclined 
to  kick,  because  he  is  full  of  treason,  they  say  he  is  help- 
ing along  a  project  of  marriage  with  the  sister  of  the 
Emperor  of  Russia." 

"  The  Empress  has  learned  of  it;  she  knows  they  are 
conspiring  against  her  happiness  and  she  is  awaiting 
the  return  of  the  Emperor  to  talk  with  him  about  this 
divorce  in  the  interest  of  his  dynasty.  She  has  a  way 
to  divert  the  blow  aimed  against  her." 

"  What  way  ? " 

"  Well,  do  you  remember  the  young  woman  who  was 
in  the  household  of  Princess  Caroline  ?  An  elegant 
brunette,  magnificent  eyes,  her  name  was  Eleonore  " 


316     

"A  scholar  of  Madame  Campan,  married  a  high  liver, 
Jean  Renel,  who  had  been  quartermaster  of  the  Fifteenth 
Dragoons  and  was  expelled  from  the  army  for  stealing 
Yes,  certainly,  I  remember  her  very  well.  The  Emperor 
was  much  interested  in  her  when  he  returned  from 
Austerlitz.  She  was  divorced.  But  what  is  there  be- 
tween Eleonore  and  the  Empress?" 

"  Something  terrible  for  Josephine !  Eleonore  has 
received  that  which  the  Empress  seeks!  Eleonore  has 
a  son!" 

"  Not  by  the  Emperor  !  " 

"  Yes,  every  possible  doubt  as  to  the  paternity  of  the 
child  has  been  removed.  During  the  time  the  divorce 
was  being  obtained  Eleonore  was  at  the  school  of 
Madame  Campan  at  Saint-Germain-en-Laye,  and  no 
man  but  the  Emperor  saw  her.  And  then  again,  the 
child  is  the  very  likeness  of  his  Imperial  father." 

"The  devil!  Well,  do  you  intend  we  shall  have  Eleo- 
nore's  son  for  an  Emperor?" 

"  Perhaps  !  The  Empress  has  consulted  lawyers,  the 
divine  right  admits  only  heirs  of  the  blood  to  succeed 
to  the  throne,  but  the  Roman  law  permits  adoption. 
Cambaceres  has  explained  all  that.  I  am  now  in  favor 
of  adoption." 

"  You  are  very  bright,  Catharine,"  said  Lefebvre, 
looking  in  great  admiration  upon  his  wife.  "  Then  the 
Emperors  of  Rome,  those  famous  rabbits,  as  they  are 
called,  adopted  their  heirs  when  they  could  not  get 
them  otherwise  ? " 

"Yes,  the  greatest  Emperors  did,  Augustus  to  begin 
with;  you  know  Talma  plays  at  the  Theatre  Francais 
and  they  give  the  adoption  scene.  It  is  very  handy  ! 
Now,  do  you  understand  why  I  am  going  to  the  Em- 
peror's camp  at  Frickenstein  ?  " 

"  No,  why  ?  " 

"  The  Empress  knows  about  this  child  of  Eleonore; 
she  learned  of  it  at  the  same  time  she  heard  of  the  death 


of  Hortense's  son,  and  she  proposes  to  the  Emperor  to 
adopt  this  boy  of  Eleonore  and  make  him  heir  to  the 
Empire.  She  sacrifices  her  natural  repugnance  and  will 
act  the  part  of  mother  to  the  child.  The  army  and  the 
people,  accustomed  to  admire  and  approve  everything 
Napoleon  does  will  applaud  this  act.  The  child,  il- 
legimate,  it  is  true,  but  having  the  blood  of  Napoleon  in 
his  veins,  will  certainly  be  preferred  to  that  blockhead 
Joseph,  or  that  silly  Louis.  For  the  Emperor's 
brothers,  you  know,  every  one  has  only  the  merest  re- 
spect, they  are  known  to  be  vain,  ambitious,  imbecile, 
and  perhaps  they  are  rascals  who  will  betray  their 
brother  on  the  first  occasion  when  it  becomes  necessary 
to  do  so  to  save  the  crowns  he  has  put  on  their  heads. 
This  child,  brought  up  in  the  palace  by  the  Emperor 
and  the  Empress,  treated  by  all  the  world  as  the  Prince 
Imperial,  will  never  be  opposed.  There,  Lefebvre,  that 
is  what  I  propose  to  the  Emperor,  in  the  name  and  with 
the  consent  of  the  Empress.  Now,  you  understand 
all?" 

Lefebvre  reflected  profoundly.  His  was  a  slow  mind 
but  one  that  was  just.  His  good  sense  guided  him  in 
all  the  circumstances  of  his  life.  When  they  sought 
candidates  for  the  Directory,  he  was  considered,  but  he 
replied  to  their  invitation  with  modesty  and  rare  good 
judgment :  "  No,  citizens,  I  cannot  be  a  Director.  It  is 
a  royal  crown  you  are  offering  me.  I  am  a  republican 
and  a  soldier.  I  wish  to  serve  my  country  in  some  other 
way  than  re-establishing  a  royalty  with  five  heads.  You 
are  all  men  of  education,  you  don't  want  a  fool  like  me 
as  King.  I  shall  return  to  the  army  of  Sambre-et 
Meuse,  where  I  have  the  enemy  to  look  after." 

Josephine's  proposal  he  did  not  think  would  be 
acceptable  to  the  Emperor,  and  he  feared  the  mission 
of  the  marchioness  would  be  fruitless. 

"  But  you  have  accepted  the  duty,  wife,  and  you  must 
perform  it,"  he  said,  with  the  determination  of  a  soldier 


incapable  of  loitering  when  the  order  to  march  had 
been  given. 

There  was  a  roll  of  drums  and  a  blare  of  trumpets.' 

"Ah,  good!  there  is  supper,"  said  the  Marshal;  "I 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  eating  at  the  same  time  as  the 
soldiers.  To-day  I  invite  you  and  I  will  tell  the  chef 
that  he  must  give  you  a  dish  of  honor.  We  will  dine, 
tete-a-tete.': 

"  As  we  used  to  do  at  the  Rapee,  where  we  had  that 
white  wine.  Do  you  remember  that  ?" 

"  Do  I  remember  it  ?  I  want  it  in  the  palace.  We 
can't  get  it  here,  they  don't  know  it  in  Germany.  I  will 
offer  you  some  Hungarian  wine  the  Archbishop  of 
Bamberg  sent  my  chaplain  for  Mass;  you  know  I  have 
a  chaplain  now." 

"  You  ?  What  a  farce  !  It  is  funny  to  think  of  you 
learning  to  say  your  Pater  " 

"  They  are  very  religious  in  Poland — and  they  drink 
a  good  deal." 

The  valet  and  the  two  servants  of  the  Marshal  came 
in  to  arrange  the  table;  the  marchioness  threw  aside 
her  cloak  and  as  she  rose  to  do  so,  she  saw  a  basket  of 
champagne  among  the  delicacies  for  supper. 

"  Waiter,  why  didn't  you  bring  the  Archbishop's  wine? 
The  Marshal  and  I  have  a  little  ceremony  this  evening," 
exclaimed  the  marchioness,  accompanying  her  words 
with  a  slap  upon  her  massive  hips,  the  favorite  indica- 
tion of  her  good  humor. 

XLIII. 

CATHARINE'S  DESSERT. 

"  ARE  you  hungry  ?  "  asked  the  Marshal,  as  he  passed 
to  his  wife  a  plate  of  bubbling  soup  whose  odor  was 
sufficient  in  itself  to  tempt  or  create  an  appetite. 

"  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  dog,"  replied  the  marchioness. 
"  And  this  soup  looks  famous." 


"  The  soldiers  will  eat  no  other.  Now,  that's  the  dif- 
ference between  the  Emperor  and  me  ;  the  Emperor 
concerns  himself  with  his  men's  feet.  Why,  I  have  seen 
him  stop  a  marching  column  and  order  one  of  the  sol- 
diers to  take  his  shoes  off.  He  sees  to  it  personally  that 
orders  for  shoes  are  properly  filled.  But  I  occupy  my- 
self with  their  stomachs  ;  with  musket  over  shoulder, 
good  shoes  and  good  soup  they  can  make  the  tour  of 
the  world.  Have  a  little  beef,  Catharine?" 

"  Yes,  and  a  pickle." 

"  Pickles — they  don't  know  anything  about  them  in 
this  hog  land  ;  but  there  is  some  sour  cabbage  !  " 

"All  right !     And  the  drink,  Lefebvre  ? " 

"  The  Archbishop's  wine  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  we  will  drink  to  the  health  of  the  Em- 
peror," said  the  marchioness  gaily,  lifting  the  glass  to 
her  lips. 

"  What  is  new  in  Paris  ?  What  is  going  on  at  the 
Court  ? "  asked  Lefebvre. 

"  Well,  we  have  had  several  fetes.  The  Emperor  or- 
dered us  to  amuse  ourselves  this  winter.  He  said  he 
did  not  wish  his  absence  to  make  any  difference,  and  for 
us  to  go  on  as  usual.  There  was  a  quadrille  of  honor, 
and  I  took  part  in  it." 

"  You,  my  wife;  did  you  dance  with  the  prin- 
cesses ? " 

"  Are  we  not  princesses  ?  Yes,  my  dear,  the  Empress 
did  me  the  honor.  There  were  sixteen  ladies,  dressed 
by  fours  in  different  colors,  there  was  a  white,  green, 
red  and  blue  quadrille.  The  ladies  in  white  wore  dia- 
monds, those  in  red  wore  rubies,  green  wore  emeralds, 
I  was  in  the  blue  quadrille,  and  I  wore  turquoise  and 
sapphires.  " 

'•  You  must  have  been  brilliant,  Catharine,  how  I 
should  like  to  have  seen  you." 

"  Yes,  I  looked  fine,  with  my  great  ostrich  feather 
sticking  upon  my  toque.  It  was  superb  !  We  wore 


320 

dresses  cut  Spanish  style  and  toques  the  color  of  the 
dresses.  You  should  have  been  there." 

"  And  the  men  ? " 

"  They  wore  velvet  clothes,  and  they  had  toques  just 
the  same  as  we  did.  They  had  the  same  colors,  too. 
My  escort  was  a  handsome  man,  M.  de  Lauriston,  oh  ! 
now  don't  be  jealous,  he  is  only  a  civilian.  Then  it  was 
Despreaux  you  know,  my  dancing-master,  who  led. 
Princess  Caroline  by  some  extraordinary  miracle  did 
not  quarrel  with  Princess  Elisa  that  night.  The  ball 
was  simply  ravishing;  I  knew  the  Emperor  would  have 
enjoyed  it,  the  dear  man." 

"You  will  amuse  him  with  the  news  you  bring,  I  am 
sure." 

"  He  will  be  enchanted  to  see  me  arrive  instead  of 
Josephine,  it  won't  interrupt  the  scene — if  as  they  say, 
that  Polonaise — eh  !  how  is  it  ?  " 

"  Did  the  Empress  think  of  coming  here  to  camp?" 

"  She  sent  word  to  the  Emperor  to  that  effect,  by  a 
special  courier;  she  was  just  dying  to  join  him  in  Poland; 
she  was  restless  and  jealous,  especially  when  her  courier 
returned  with  express  orders  that  she  should  remain  in 
Paris.  Then  I  was  started  off.  But  tell  me,  how  about  that 
Archbishop's  wine;  don't  you  think  it  may  spoil  in  the 
bottle?  " 

And  she  gaily  held  forth  her  glass  to  Lefebvre  for  a 
new  replenishing  and  Lefebvre  filled  it. 

There  sat  these  two  simple,  frank,  honest  people 
happy  in  being  together,  enjoying  their  modest  meal  in 
the  tent  with  the  cheerfulness  of  young  lovers.  The 
supper  being  concluded  Lefebvre  seated  himself  by  the 
fire  his  feet  on  the  table  and  looked  at  his  wife  through 
the  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke.  The  marchioness  allowed 
her  glance  to  wander  around  the  tent  and  take  in  the 
furnishings  her  husband  provided  for  himself.  Sud- 
denly she  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh  and  pointing 
towards  the  bed  in  the  corner,  she  said  : 


321     

"  Do  you  sleep  in  that  little  portfolio,  there  ?  Ah,  my 
dear  husband,  how  is  that  going  to  hold  us  both,  for  I 
don't  suppose  you  expect  me  to  sleep  in  the  carriage 
that  brought  me  here  ? " 

"  I  have  another  iron  bedstead  like  it.  We  can  put 
them  up  to  each  other  and  make  one,  a  trifle  small, 
perhaps,  but  large  enough  for  two  who  love,"  said  Le- 
febvre,  at  the  same  time  passing  his  arm  around  the 
waist  of  his  wife. 

An  orderly  entered  as  he  did  so  and  Catharine  em- 
barrassed, pushed  Lefebvre's  hand  from  her  bosom, 
whispering  to  him: 

"  Send  these  fellows  away  that  we  may  at  least  take 
our  dessert  comfortably." 

The  Marshal  was  about  ordering  as  his  wife  requested 
when  a  number  of  sharp  detonations  rang  out  clearly, 
and  above  them  arose  the  loud  cry,  "  To  arms,  to  arms," 
followed  by  a  rolling  of  drums  and  the  notes  of  the  trum- 
pets putting  the  whole  camp  in  an  uproar. 

"  What  is  that  ? "  exclaimed  Lefebvre,  looking  towards 
the  orderly. 

"Commandant  Henriot  wishes  to  speak  with  you, 
Marshal !  " 

"Well,  let  him  enter  !  But  this  sounds  serious,"  an- 
swered Lefebvre,  listening  to  the  continued  discharges 
of  the  musketry,  accompanied  now  by  the  heavy  roar  of 
cannon. 

Henriot  entered,  and  saluting  the  marchioness,  said 
rapidly: 

"  Marshal,  the  enemy  has  made  a  grand  sortie,  it  is 
against  the  redoubt  we  have  taken  " 

"  The  redoubt  where  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  is 
stationed  ?  The  redoubt  we  took  eighty  yards  from 
Hagelsburg.  The  Saxons  and  Belgians  are  on  guard 
there  " 

"  Yes,  Marshal,  but  there  is  a  panic  among  the  Saxons; 
they  have  abandoned  the  trenches.  It  is  a  serious  rout; 


322     — 

in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  unless  something  is  done,  the 
Prussians  will  be  here." 

"  The  Forty-fourth  Regiment  is  there  ? "  demanded 
Lefebvre. 

"  Yes,  Marshal,  and  it  is  alone,  Commandant  Roquet 
in  charge." 

"That  is  sufficient!  Come,  go  with  me — but  no,  re- 
main here  and  look  after  the  marchioness" 

"  Look  after  me  !  "  echoed  Catharine,  in  a  wounded 
voice.  "  Don't  you  know  me!  Leave  me,  Lefebvre, 
and  go  to  the  front !  Don't  you  remember  the  night  of 
Jemmapes!  You  were  not  concerned  about  me.  Give 
these  Prussians  a  thrashing  and  come  back.  We  will 
meet  after  this  affair." 

Lefebvre  hastened  forth,  and  as  he  did  so  a  long 
shadow  fell  across  the  entrance  to  the  tent  and  Violette 
stood  within  it. 

"  Ah,  it  is  Violette  !  "  cried  Catharine. 

"  Yes,  Madame  Catharine,  I  mean  Madame  Marchio- 
ness, you  have  guessed  well.  It  is  I,  and  if  you  wish  I  will 
take  you  up  to  a  place  here  where  you  may  see  the 
entire  performance." 

"  No,  my  boy,  many  thanks,  but  I  prefer  to  be  alone; 
I  would  rather  have  you  go  with  the  Marshal.  He  may 
require  you." 

Lefebvre  quickly  rallied  the  somewhat  broken  ranks 
of  the  Forty-fourth,  and  he  shouted  to  them  above  the 
din  of  battle: 

"  Soldiers,  this  redoubt  is  not  only  the  protection  of 
our  camp,  but  it  is  the  key  to  Danzig.  If  the  enemy 
occupies  it  we  will  be  much  inconvenienced.  I  have 
promised  the  Emperor  to  take  Danzig.  I  count  on  you 
to  help  a  Marshal  of  France  to  make  good  his'  word. 
Advance,  Grenadiers  of  the  Forty-fourth,  and  long  live 
the  Emperor  !  " 

Then,  as  a  sergeant  would  do,  sword  in  hand,  the 
grand  cordon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  blackened  with 


323 


powder,  fearing  nothing,  but  plunging  straight  ahead,  the 
Marshal  was  the  first  man  to  leap  into  the  abandoned 
trenches  at  the  head  of  the  Forty-fourth. 

The  Prussians,  astounded  by  the  return  attack,  hesi- 
tated.    Lefebvre,  throwing  himself  on  the  front  rank  of 


the  enemy,  cleared  a  way  before  him  with  his  swinging 
sabre  and  received  the  savage  thrust  of  a  bayonet  in  his 
arm.  His  men  swept  after  him,  having  no  time  to  re- 
load, but  cleaning  the  trenches  with  their  plunging 
bayonets. 

"  Advance  !     To  the  redoubt !  "  shouted  the  Marshal, 


324 

waving  his  bloody  sword  above  his  head  and  carried 
away  with  the  frenzy  of  the  encounter. 

And  again  he  dashed  forward,  cutting,  slashing,  carv- 
ing a  passage  through  the  ranks  of  men  that  defended 
the  redoubt  and  were  cut  down  like  rows  of  wheat  be- 
neath the  sharp  blades  of  the  advancing  hosts.  Beside 
him  there  was  a  young  man  who  parried  many  a  bayonet 
thrust  intended  for  the  Marshal,  while  upon  the  other 
side  was  a  giant  armed  with  a  gun  that  he  grasped  by 
the  barrel  and  wielded  as  a  club  against  those  who 
came  within  the  luckless  reach  of  his  long  arm.  From 
time  to  time  the  giant  stopped,  as  if  for  rest,  leaned  his 
clubbed  musket  on  the  ground,  and  then,  in  an  instant, 
refreshed  resumed  his  terrible  assaults. 

They  soon  were  masters  of  the  redoubt. 

In  one  of  the  trenches  they  found  a  cannon,  aban- 
doned so  suddenly  by  the  enemy  that  it  yet  remained 
loaded  and  primed  and  ready  to  discharge. 

"  Oh,"  said  Lefebvre,  "  if  I  had  a  couple  of  horses  to 
drag  this  piece  around,  I  would  fire  it  after  those  run- 
aways." 

"  No  need  of  a  horse,  Marshal,"  exclaimed  Violette,  as 
he  laid  his  musket,  stained  with  blood,  across  the  can- 
non, and  with  his  muscular  hands  he  seized  the  piece 
and  by  a  great  effort  swung  it  around  so  that  it  pointed 
after  the  fleeing  Prussians  and  towards  the  walls  of 
Danzig.  Henriot,  springing  forward,  sighted  the  piece 
and  applying  a  match  sent  the  deadly  shot  hurling  after 
the  fleeing  enemy. 

The  report  of  the  cannon  completed  the  rout  of  the 
Prussians.  The  redoubt  was  taken  and  the  Marshal 
looked  with  satisfaction  upon  the  Prussians  disappear- 
ing behind  the  ramparts,  and  then,  returning  his  sword 
into  its  scabbard,  he  said  to  Henriot  and  Violette  : 

"  My  brave  fellows,  I  confide  the  defense  of  the  re- 
doubt to  you.  Do  not  leave  it  to-night.  I  will  return 
to  the  marchioness  and  have  dessert." 


325    

XLIV. 

A   LOVE    HISTORY. 

THE  next  day,  the  marchioness  awoke  with  the  first 
ray  of  the  sun.  She  sprang  joyfully  from  her  bed  to 
the  notes  of  the  reveille  that  rang  through  the  gloom; 
her  memory  went  back  to  the  camp  of  the  republican 
army,  when  the  volunteers,  without  shoes,  hats  or  the 
necessaries  of  life,  carried  their  muskets  to  the  refrain  of 
the  Marseillaise  and  each  morning  upon  arising  re- 
solved to  end  the  day  with  a  victory. 

Quickly  she  dressed,  aided  by  a  maid  she  had  brought 
with  her,  and  who  day  and  night  without  cessation 
asked  her  mistress  how  soon  they  would  be  on  the  road 
returning  to  France. 

The  Marshal  had  already  gone  to  visit  the  advance 
posts  and  look  over  the  situation.  The  redoubt  taken 
the  evening  before  had  been  strengthened  and  fortified 
during  the  night.  He  felt  confident  from  its  condition 
now  that  it  would  serve  as  a  protection  from  which  he 
could  batter  a  breach  in  the  walls  of  the  city  and  force 
the  first  line  of  defense  back.  He  went  over  the  scene 
of  the  sortie  a  few  hours  before,  and  when  he  had  con- 
cluded his  rounds  he  returned  to  Catharine  pale  and 
visibly  affected. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  Catharine  exclaimed  with 
alarm.  "  Have  the  Prussians  made  a  new  sortie  ? 
Have  we  lost  the  redoubt  ?  " 

"  No,  the  redoubt,  happily,  is  well  protected,  and  the 
men  are  warned  to  take  extraordinary  precautions  by 
the  adventure  of  last  night.  No,  it  is  not  that,  but  a 
great  misfortune  has  befallen  us,  my  dear  Catharine" 

"  My  God,  what  is  it !     Speak,  quick  " 

"  Henriot,  our  dear  Henriot,  whom  you  taught  as  a 
child,  whom  you  love  and  I  love  as  a  son  " 


326 

•'  Is  he  dead  ?"  the  marchioness  cried,  her  voice  trem- 
bling and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  Be  calm,  he  is  "- 

"What  then,  what  then  !  is  he  wounded  !" 

"  No,  he  is  a  prisoner  !" 

Catherine  gave  a  great  sigh  of  relief.  She  dried  her 
tears.  Her  eyes  again  became  brilliant. 

"  Ah,  that  is  bad  enough,"  she  said,  "  but  I  feared 
something  worse;  you  frightened  me,  my  dear.  Prisoner 
of  war,  that  is  not  a  dangerous  position,  you  can  ex- 
change him  on  the  first  occasion;  you  made  a  great 
number  of  Prussians  prisoners  yesterday.  " 

Lefebvre  was  silent  for  a  moment  and  then  he  re- 
sponded in  a  solemn  way  : 

"When  I  say  Henriot  has  been  made  a  prisoner  of 
war,  I  spoke  in  guarded  words.  I  have  sent  to  Marshal 
Kalkreuth  offering  to  give  him  in  exchange  two  officers 
and  ten  soldiers  captured  last  night." 

"And  he  has  accepted,  this  Prussian  ?" 

"  He  has  refused  !  " 

"  Is  it  possible  !  and  why  ? " 

"  Because  he  does  not  consider  Henriot  as  a  prisoner 
of  war.  " 

"  Well,  what  does  he  consider  him  ? " 

"A  spy,  surprised  in  disguise  in  the  city.  " 

"  Henriot,  a  spy  !  A  brave  soldier  cannot  be  a  spy  ! 
He  fights  with  his  face  to  the  enemy,  his  sword  in  hand 
and  his  uniform  clear  of  such  stain.  Marshal  Kalkreuth 
is  an  old  fool;  is  there  no  one  of  sense  near  him  to  tell 
him  ?" 

"Unhappily,  wife,  appearances  are  against  him. 
When  he  was  captured  in  the  streets  of  Danzig  to- 
night, after  the  affair  of  the  redoubt  where  he  acted  so 
valiantly,  he  was  not  dressed  in  our  uniform,  but  he 
wore  the  uniform  of  an  Austrian  officer." 

"  An  Austrian  uniform  !  But  there  are  no  Austrians 
in  Danzig.  You  are  not  fighting  with  Austrians." 


327     

"  It  is  precisely  for  that  reason  he  took  the  costume 
of  an  officer  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria." 

"  But  what  an  idea  !  What  could  he  have  meant  by 
it?  Can  you  explain  it?" 

"Well,  just  like  you  I  was  surprised  when  I  saw  in 
what  way  he  had  gone  into  the  city,  and  I  could  not  un- 
derstand it*  Violette,  who  I  have  severely  reprimanded 
for  not  having  stopped  Henriot  in  his  folly,  knows  how 
he  was  disguised,  and  why  it  was  that  he  put  this  cos- 
tume on  that  has  transformed  him  from  a  brave  officer 
to  a  miserable  spy." 

"And  what  has  Violette  told  you?" 

"  A  strange  story." 

"  Love  at  the  bottom  of  it,  I  warrant." 

"  Yes,  it's  a  love  story." 

"  Henriot  is  young,  gallant,  and  capable  of  love,  but 
what  is  this  he  has  done  now?" 

"  Oh,  he  always  was  popular  with  the  women,  and 
they  thought  he  was  a  hero,  and  that  led  him  into  these 
absurdities." 

"What  absurdities?" 

"  Why,  he  was  in  the  outposts  of  the  redoubt,  and  a 
carriage  came  from  Koenigsberg.  The  driver  exhibited 
a  pass,  permitting  him  to  go  through  the  lines,  and  it 
was  all  right  and  proper,  and  extended  the  privilege  to 
the  Consul-General  of  Austria  to  go  through  the  French 
posts  with  his  suite,  and  to  present  himself  at  the  gates 
of  the  city;  the  order  was  signed  by  Rapp.  The  order 
was  presented  to  Henriot,  who  accepted  it  and  allowed 
them  to  go  on,  but  inspired  by  curiosity  he  looked  into 
the  carriage  and  was  heard  to  utter  an  exclamation  of 
surprise.  Now  what  do  you  suppose  he  saw  there  ?  " 

"I  cannot  tell,  the  Consul-General  probably." 

"Yes,  and  three  ladies  with  him!  The  wife  of  the 
Consul-General,  Princess  Hatzfeld,  wife  of  the  Burgo- 
master of  Berlin,  and  a  young  girl.  Who  do  you  sup- 
pose the  young  girl  was?" 


328     

"  How  in  the  world  do  you  suppose  I  would  know  ?  " 

"  It  was  Alice,  our  dear  little  Alice.  The  child  you 
saved  from  the  bombardment  of  Verdun.  Henriot  saw 
her  again  in  Berlin,  with  me  at  the  Princess  Hatzfeld's 
house,  and  as  a  consequence  of  it  the  Prince  came  very 
near  being  shot  by  order  of  the  Emperor,  but  instead  of 
that  he  was  exiled  and  his  wife  was  authorized  to  join 
her  family.  And  that  was  the  reason  she  was  going 
with  the  Austrian  Consul-General  to  Danzig." 

"  And  this  is  why  he  went  into  Danzig.  He  loves  her 
and  he  has  followed  her;  I  understand  it  all  now,  he  was 
very  imprudent." 

"  He  pretended  to  be  the  military  attache  to  the  con- 
sulate. In  the  Consul's  suite  was  an  Austrian  officer  with 
whom  Henriot  was  friendly  and  he  allowed  him  to  take 
his  uniform.  Henriot  joined  the  escort  of  the  Consul- 
General,  and  with  him,  thanks  to  the  Imperial  pass, 
entered  the  city." 

"And  he  was  recognized  !  " 

"  He  was  betrayed." 

"By  whom?" 

"  By  the  Austrian  Consul-General." 

"The  miserable  fiend!  He  is  probably  in  love  with 
Alice,  and  it  is  a  case  of  jealousy,  rivalry  !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  the  Consul  was  inspired  by  ani- 
mosity, by  vengance,  he  detests  the  French,  he  has  an 
implacable  hatred  against  our  Emperor,  he  execrates 
him  as  a  soldier  of  the  revolution,  whose  invincible 
sword  forced  upon  the  entire  world  the  principles  of  '89. 
He  is  an  aristocrat  and  the  enemy  of  all  patriotic  men, 
the  regicides,  as  he  calls  us.  I  know  all  about  him, 
Fouche  has  sent  me  a  most  circumstantial  report." 

"  I  don't  trust  Fouche!  " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  the  old  cure  is  a  traitor  just  like  Talley- 
rand; they  are  the  evil  geniuses  of  the  Emperor;  those 
two  combine  everything  that  is  repulsive,  they  certainly 
have  sold  themselves  out  to  England.  But  that  does 


329     

not  concern  the  Consul-General  and  Fouche  has  given 
me  some  very  interesting  items  about  him,  they  don't 
happen  to  serve  the  same  master.  The  Consul  is  a 
secret  agent  of  Austria;  Fouche  on  the  other  hand,  is 
working  in  the  interest  of  the  English.  Ah !  if  the 
Emperor  would  allow  it,  how  I  would  clean  all  that  ver- 
min out  of  the  court!  All  I  would  leave  would  be  our 
old  companions  in  glory,  the  faithful  soldiers,  Davout, 
Duroc,  Lannes,  Bessieres  and  myself.  There  is  not  a 
traitor  among  them,  no  such  set  of  questionable  adven- 
turers as  Bernadotte,  Marmont,  Talleyrand,  F'ouche. 
He  will  be  lost  yet,  I  tell  you,  Catharine,  and  France 
with  him." 

"  The  Emperor  will  regret  some  day  when  he  took 
the  council  of  these  traitors — but,  Lefebvre,  we  should 
be  doing  something;  how  are  we  going  to  save  Henriot  ? 
They  may  shoot  him,  may  they  not?" 

"  Certainly;  taken  disguised  in  a  city  that  is  being 
besieged,  where  he  has  entered  by  fraud  he  is  liable  to 
be  shot.  The  laws  of  war  are  inexorable,"  the  Marshal 
said  with  gravity;  "if  I  should  find  here,  dressed  in  our 
uniform,  a  Prussian  officer,  certainly  there  is  no  price 
that  would  tempt  me  to  forego  his  execution." 

"Then  there  is  nothing  we  can  do  to  save  Henriot  ?" 
"  Nothing,  except  a  miracle.     If    I   had   the   power, 
with  my  Grenadiers  to  dash  into  the  city." 

"Good!  Go!  Enter  the  city,  order  an  assault?" 
the  marchioness  shouted  enthusiastically. 

Lefebvre  inclined  his  head  and  with  a  gesture  of 
despair  he  replied  : 

"  I  cannot;  I  am  not  master  here." 
"  Not  master  !     You  a  Marshal  of  France  ? " 
"  Stop,  my  wife,  I  have   an  idea;   I   will   order  the 
drummers   to   sound    the   charge    at   the    head    of   the 
Forty-fourth  Regiment,  I  will  scale  the  ramparts  and 
take  my  chances.     Reinforcements  must  arrive,  of  that 
I  am   certain.     Mortier  is  on  the  road  now  with  new 


33°     

regiments  and  artillery.  You  see  the  Emperor  has 
ordered  us  to  make  this  siege  on  certain  rules,  these  cursed 
engineers  are  doing  it  because,  he  says,  I  am  only  brave 
and  cities  like  Danzig  are  not  taken  with  bravery.  He 
has  made  plans  and  calculations  and  geometrical  figures 
that  I  don't  understand  ;  the  Emperor  understands 
them,  of  course,  because  he  is  a  savant,  and  he  likes  to 
carry  on  this  particular  siege  like  a  savant.  General 
Chasseloup  has  received  particular  instructions  from 
Napoleon,  and  I  have  simply  allowed  my  sword  to  rust 
in  its  scabbard  while  they  are  drawing  pictures.  I  am 
a  Marshal  of  France  and  the  commander-in-chief  and 
yet  I  can't  save  Henriot  because  I  haven't  been  to  school 
enough." 

"  Then  all  hope  is  gone  ;  Henriot  must  die  !  " 

"  But  I  shall  have  my  vengeance,  when  I  enter  Dan- 
zig, because  I  shall  enter  it ;  I  shall  not  leave  an  Aus- 
trian alive.  When  that  city  is  taken,  Catharine,  I  shall 
shoot  this  Comte  Neipperg." 

The  marchioness  uttered  a  cry  and  threw  herself  in 
the  arms  of  her  husband. 

"  What  do  you  say  ?  What  name  was  that  you  ut- 
tered ? " 

"  Comte  Neipperg — the  arch  enemy  of  Napoleon,  the 
Austrian  Consul-General." 

"  And  don't  you  know  who  this  Comte  Neipperg  is? 
Don't  you  remember  that  I  have  often  spoken  of  him?" 

"  You  know  him  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Don't  you  remember  the  night  at  Jemmapes, 
where,  surprised  in  the  Chateau  Lowendaal  with  the 
brave  Violette,  I  was  seized  as  Henriot  is  to-day  ?  " 

"By  heavens,  I  do?  You  have  often  told  me  of  that 
adventure,  and  that  you  were  saved  by  an  Austrian  offi- 
cer. It  was  he  ? " 

"Yes,  it  was  Comte  Neipperg." 

"  You  have  disarmed  me,"  Lefebvre  responded,  with 
a  touch  of  sadness.  "  How  now  can  I  shoot  him  when 


33*     

I  capture  Danzig?  I  owe  to  him  the  life  of  my  Catha- 
rine." 

"  You  are  under  no  obligations.  Don't  you  remember 
the  morning  of  the  loth  of  August?" 

"  A  day  that  never  can  be  effaced  from  my  memory." 

"  What  was  it  then  that  occurred  in  my  wash-shop, 
when  you  came  and  knocked  at  the  door  with  your 
companions  of  the  National  Guard?" 

"  You  had  taken  into  your  room  a  wounded  man,  a 
Chevalier  of  the  Poignard,  a  defender  of  theTuileries;  I 
was  a  little  jealous,  you  remember.  Why,  I  remember 
as  though  it  were  yesterday  !  " 

"That  wounded  man  was  Comte  de  Neipperg." 

"  Then  he  owed  his  life  to  you  ? " 

"And  we  are  quits.  Lefebvre,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary I  should  go  into  Danzig  " 

"  You  are  crazy?  You,  Marchioness  Lefebvre,  go  into 
the  stronghold  of  the  enemy!  And  what  would  you 
propose  to  do  ?  " 

"To  talk  with  Comte  de  Neipperg." 

"To  ask  him  to  save  Henriot  ?  He  could  not  do  it. 
Don't  think  of  such  a  rash  thing." 

"  I  shall  go  into  Danzig  !  "  the  marchioness  exclaimed 
with  decision,  and  holding  out  her  hand  to  her  husband, 
she  continued: 

"  Comte  de  Neipperg,  when  he  hears  what  I  have  to 
say,  will  never  allow  them  to  shoot  his — our  Henriot." 

"  Then  you  have  a  secret  with  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  with  that  secret  I  shall  save  Henriot." 

And  without  giving  the  Marshal  the  opportunity  to 
respond  or  oppose  her  rash  resolve,  the  marchioness 
threw  aside  the  opening  to  the  tent  and  cried: 

"  Violette  !  Violette  !     Come  here  !  " 


332 


XLV. 

OLD     MEMORIES. 

THERE  was  regularly  under  the  walls  of  Danzig,  and 
between  the  French  trenches,  an  interchange  of  gossip 
and  news,  not  permitted  by  the  authorities  but  quietly 
winked  at  by  both  sides.  Women  would  come  from  the 
city  with  liquors  and  scandal,  and  would  trade  both  for 
the  gold  and  acquaintance  of  the  soldiers.  In  all  sieges 
that  are  prolonged  such  suspension  of  arms  is  an  estab- 
lished fact,  and  the  happenings  of  one  camp  are  quickly 
known  in  the  other. 

It  was  during  the  hours  when  these  interchanges  took 
place  that  Violette  chose  to  enter  with  the  marchioness 
into  the  beleagured  city,  for,  made  familiar  with  the  pro- 
jects of  Catharine,  Violette  had  at  once  consented  to  aid 
in  saving  Henriot. 

Having  laid  aside  his  brilliant  uniform  of  a  drum- 
major,  wrapped  himself  up  in  dirty  riding  coat  bought 
from  one  of  the  numerous  peripatetic  Jews  who  came 
from  the  Levant  or  out  of  the  Russian  Steppes  and  fol- 
lowed the  armies  about,  Violette  presented  himself  at  one 
of  the  city  gates,  followed  by  the  marchioness,  dressed 
in  the  costume  of  a  woman  of  the  country.  Violette 
spoke  German  fluently,  and  the  marchioness,  originally 
from  Alsace,  understood  German  as  she  did  French. 

To  the  guard  at  the  gate  Violette  explained  that,  sur- 
prised by  the  coming  of  the  French,  they  had  not  been 
able,  he  and  his  companion,  to  get  into  the  city  earlier 
and  their  parents  were  inside  and  doubtless  anxious 
about  them.  He,  therefore,  begged  permission  to  enter 
and  see  them.  The  guard  replied  that  he  had  no  ob- 
jection, but  they  probably  would  have  to  get  out  again 
very  soon. 

"  Well !  "  responded  Violette  gaily,  "  we  will  wait  until 


333 

the  French  attack  us  and  then  we  will  help  you  fight." 
Having  thus  obtained  the  necessary  permission  they 
crossed  the  bridge,  their  hearts  beating  violently  to  find 
themselves  thus  alone  in  a  city  filled  with  soldiers,  en- 
cumbered with  the  wounded,  with  artillery,  supplies 
and  barracks,  where  all  the  population  seemed  to  look 
at  them  in  suspicion,  where  they  feared  recognition  at 
each  step,  were  afraid  to  ask  any  directions,  and  en- 
deavoring to  find  their  own  way  where  they  wanted  to 
go  without  making  inquiries. 

Violette  having  noticed  a  canteen  where  the  soldiers 
appeared  to  be  congregating  and  gossiping,  approached 
the  groups  gathered  there  and  mingled  with  them  that 
he  might  hear  what  was  going  on.  Some  of  them 
spoke  of  a  French  spy  who  had  been  taken  in  the  uni- 
form of  an  Austrian  officer  and  was  condemned  to  be 
shot  the  next  morning.  When  he  heard  that  he  felt 
easier,  he  realized  there  was  yet  time.  Henriot  had  not 
been  killed,  perhaps  they  could  save  him  yet.  The 
marchioness  on  her  part  went  into  some  of  the  stores 
and  under  pretext  of  seeking  some  material  to  buy  she 
informed  herself  as  to  the  residence  of  the  Austrian 
Consul-General.  She  represented  herself  to  be  niece  to 
the  maid  that  attended  the  wife  of  the  Consul.  In  this 
manner  she  learned  where  the  consulate  was  located  and 
with  Violette  turned  her  steps  in  that  direction. 

Reaching  the  building  they  found  it  to  be  closed 
and  there  was  no  evidence  of  residents  in  the  appearance 
of  the  place,  no  one  to  ask  as  to  their  whereabouts. 
Disappointed,  fearful  of  delay,  and  knowing  no  other 
course,  they  knocked  madly  at  the  entrance  to  the 
palace  and  waited  vainly  for  a  response. 

"  Nothing,  no  one  !  The  place  is  deserted,"  said 
Violette,  and  then  of  a  sudden  he  threw  his  arms  in  the 
air,  and  pointed  wildly  to  the  windows  on  the  second 
floor  : 

"  See  that  window  !" 


334 


"  Can  you  get  in  by  the  window,"  said  Catharine. 
"  A  window  is  as  good  as  a  door  when  I  can  get  my 
foot  in  it,"  responded  Violette  at  the  same  time   raising 

himself  so  he  could 
look  in  and  see  what 
was  going  on  inside. 
"  There  is  no  one 
in  the  building.  We 
can  go  in." 

"  Do  you  think  we 
had  better  enter  the 
Consul's  house  by  the 
window?" 

"  They  repel  us  at 
the  door  then,  Ma- 
dame Catharine,  I 
should  say  Madame 
Marchioness,  a  little 
courage  and  daring," 
at  the  same  time  he 
bent  his  back  over  as 
though  he  would 
form  a  resting-place. 
"  What  are  you  do- 
ing, and  what  do  you 
want  me  to  do  ?" 
"  Climb  up." 
"On  what?" 
"On  my  back. 
Have  no  fear,  it  is 
solid,  it  will  hold 
you,"  and  he  stooped 
more  and  more,  the 
marchioness  fi  n  a  1 1  y 

stepping  upon  his  broad  back.  Once  there  she  arose 
slowly,  carefully  and  found  herself  on  a  level  with  the 
window. 


335 

"Enter,"  said  Violette,  using  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life  a  tone  of  command,  and  as  she  hesitated  he  con- 
tinued, "  Pardon,  excuse  me,  Madame  Catharine,  no, 
Madame  Marchioness,  but  we  are  seeking  to  save  the 
life  of  Henriot.  Go  and  I  will  join  you." 

Bravely  the  marchioness  gathered  up  her  skirts  and 
in  another  moment  had  entered  the  palace,  a  second 
later  Violette  followed  her. 

"  That  is  an  advantage  in  being  tall  !  "  he  exclaimed 
as  if  to  make  excuse  for  his  height.  "  We  must  not  lose 
a  minute  now,  let  us  hurry  and  find  the  Consul." 

And  opening  the  first  door  that  was  before  them  he 
and  the  marchioness  entered  a  long,  silent  and  sombre 
corridor  through  which  they  made  their  way  straining 
their  ears  to  hear  any  sound  that  might  indicate  the 
presence  of  a  human  being,  and  looking  in  at  every  door 
they  passed  in  hopes  of  finding  the  room  occupied. 

When  they  had  reached  the  end  of  the  corridor,  they 
detected  a  low  murmur  of  voices  and  listening  intently 
they  heard  a  man  and  two  women  in  conversation. 

"  We  have  them  !  "  said  Violette,  "  some  one  is  in  here, 
I  would  a  hundred  times  rather  climb  up  the  redoubt 
behind  the  Marshal  than  go  in  and  face  these  people." 

"  Enter,"  the  marchioness  exclaimed  resolutely,  "  I 
hear  Alice's  voice." 

She  turned  the  knob  and  opened  the  door.  A  cry  of 
surprise  greeted  this  unexpected  intrusion  and  Comte  de 
Neipperg,  who  was  standing  before  a  table  in  the  salon, 
advanced  quickly  towards  them,  and  said: 

"  Who  are  you  ?     What  do  you  want  here  ? " 

Two  women,  one  pale,  grave,  sad,  with  great  black 
rings  beneath  her  eyes,  the  other  young,  gracious, 
crowned  with  a  wealth  of  golden  hair,  advanced  with 
him,  astonished  and  stupefied  by  the  presence  of  Ca- 
tharine and  Violette.  The  marchioness,  looking  for  a 
moment  at  the  two  women,  stepped  towards  the  younger 
one,  saying: 


336     

"  Alice,  my  Alice,  don't  you  remember  me  ? " 

The  young  girl,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  threw 
herself  into  the  extended  arms,  crying: 

"You,  my  mother  !  here!     How  did  you  get  here?" 

"  I  have  come  to  save  Henriot !  "  the  marchioness  re- 
plied with  dignity. 

"  Oh,  mother  !  We  are  supplicating  the  Comte,  but 
he  is  inflexible." 

Catharineturned  towards  Neipperg,  and  asked  gravely: 

"Don't  you  know  me,  Comte  de  Neipperg?" 

"  No,  madame,  and  I  demand  to  know  who  has  per- 
mitted you  to  enter  without  being  announced." 

"  I  am  Catharine  Lefebvre  !  " 

"  Marchioness  Lefebvre,  here  !  My  God,  has  the  city 
been  taken  ?  "  he  said  with  terror  in  his  voice. 

"  No,  not  yet !  I  have  come  in  advance  of  my  husband, 
that  is  all,  and  to  save  Henriot,  my  adopted  son.  You 
understand  Comte,  my  adopted  son." 

"  I  can  do  nothing,  Madame  Marchioness,"  responded 
Neipperg  with  evident  embarrassment.  "  Commandant 
Henriot  came  here,  into  a  besieged  city,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  a  disguise  and  endeavored  in  my  name  to 
come  into  this  house.  I  know  he  is  in  love  with 
Mile.  Alice,  and  believe  me,  if  I  had  known  it  earlier  I 
would  have  interceded  with  the  Governor,  but  my  inter- 
vention after  I  did  learn  of  it,  was  entirely  useless  and 
could  not  stay  the  execution.  They  all  supposed  Austria 
must  have  had  some  interest  in  saving  an  officer,  who  to 
all  appearances  is  a  spy." 

"  Then  you  believe  you  are  powerless  to  influence 
the  Prussian  authorities?"  asked  the  marchioness. 

"  I  believe  I  can  do  nothing;  I  am  powerless  to  inter- 
fere; Commandant  Henriot  must  submit  to  the  laws  of 
war;  I  regret  it  exceedingly.  If  I  could"' 

"  You  must  !  "  said  the  marchioness  in  an  authorita- 
tive tone. 

Neipperg    made    a    motion    of    impatience,    and    the 


337     

marchioness  continued  :  "Will  you  kindly  request  these 
two  ladies  to  leave  us  alone  for  a  moment." 

"  For  what  reason  ?  I  have  nothing  to  conceal,  both 
of  them  have  been  urging  me  in  this  matter.  The 
Comtesse  de  Neipperg  is  very  much  touched  by  the  tears 
of  Mile.  Alice  and  has  urged  some  further  effort ;  I 
had  about  decided  to  end  it  by  leaving  the  house." 

"You  must  save  Commandant  Henriot!  "  replied  the 
marchioness,  "  whether  you  will  or  not.  I  will  speak 
then  before  the  Comtesse  and  before  Alice,  but  I  give 
warning  you  will  regret  having  forced  me  to  the  dis- 
closure, a  disclosure  that  is  very  serious." 

"  Madame,  the  comtesse,  and^  you,  Alice,  please  leave 
us,"  said  the  Comte,  impressed  by  the  manner  of  the 
marchioness.  The  two  ladies  closed  the  door  behind 
them  Alice  leaning  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  Comtesse, 
and  the  Comtesse  murmuring  some  words  of  hope  that 
the  Comte  might  be  able  to  save  the  young  man. 

"  Marchioness  Lefebvre,"  said  the  Comtesse,  "  would 
never  have  passed  through  the  lines  to  save  Henriot 
without  having  some  hopes  of  accomplishing  it:  Comte 
de  Neipperg  is  under  great  obligations  to  her  and  she 
may  be  able  to  influence  him." 

Alice  struggled  to  keep  up  her  courage  and  the  tears 
that  filled  her  beautiful  eyes  were  brushed  away  under 
the  revived  hope  of  the  Comtesse's  words. 

Violette,  on  a  sign  from  Catharine,  said: 

"  I  will  stand  outside  the  door,  Madame  Marchioness, 
and  if  you  want  me,  I  will  come  in,"  and,  drawing  him- 
self up  to  his  full  height,  he  looked  towards  the  Consul- 
General  as  if  he  would  say,  "  If  you  do  anything  you 
shouldn't,  I'll  put  you  in  my  pocket,  you  cigar  stump  of 
an  Austrian  ! " 

"  Very  well,  Madame  Marchioness,  speak,  we  are 
alone,"  Neipperg  said,  as  he  took  his  seat  on  the  sofa 
beside  Catharine,  who  replied  with  some  emotion: 

"It  is  a  long  time  since  we  have  seen    each  other, 


338     

Comte,  not  since  we  met  at  Jemmapes  and  many  events 
happened  have  since  then." 

"  I  am  happy  to  know  of  the  changes  that  have  occurred 
with  you,  I  heard  you  had  left  the  canteen  and  had  mar- 
ried a  sergeant " 

"  Pardon,  a  lieutenant,  who  was  fulfilling  the  duties 
of  a  captain." 

"The  lieutenant  has  rapidly  advanced,  now  a  marshal 
of  France,  one  of  the  most  famous  generals  in  the  first 
army  of  the  world,  a  friend  of  Napoleon,  I  congratulate 
you  and  I  pray  that  when  you  return  to  the  camp  you 
will  present  my  compliments  to  the  Marshal." 

"If  I  have  called  up  old  memories,  Comte,  it  was  not 
for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  gloriole,  and  making  a 
comparison  between  the  cantiniere  of  Jemmapes  and 
the  wife  of  the  Marshal  who  is  in  command  before  Dan- 
zig. Comte,  in  the  Chateau  Lowendaal  where  we  saw 
each  other  for  the  last  time,  where  you  saved  a  miserable 
prisoner,  who  in  turn  had  saved  from  a  deplorable  union 
a  young  woman  who  enjoyed  your  love,  Mile.  Blanche 
de  Laveline  "- 

"  To-day  she  is  Comtesse  de  Neipperg." 

"Yes!  so  I  have  learned,  but  the  emotion  that  has 
been  brought  on  me  by  this  terrible  position  of  Henriot 
made  me  forget  to  congratulate  you.  To  her  I  really 
owe  everything;  she  purchased  for  me  the  wash-shop, 
and  through  its  sale  I  was  enabled  to  marry  Lefebvre. 
If  to-day  I  am  Marchioness  Lefebvre,  it  is  to  your  beau- 
tiful and  kindly  wife  I  owe  it.  Oh,  I  am  not  un- 
grateful, and  I  only  await  an  occasion  when  I  can  prove 
the  true  depth  of  my  gratitude.  Unhappily,  I  am  forced 
again  to  come  to  you  seeking  a  favor." 

The  Comte  bowed  with  serious  politeness,  and  the 
expression  on  his  face  indicated  that  he  awaited  with 
some  impatience  the  explanation  the  marchioness  had 
to  make  for  her  appearance.  Catharine,  with  an  appar- 
ent effort  at  self  control,  continued: 


339 

"  When  you  saved  me  from  being  shot  with  the  brave 
Violette,  where  were  you  ?  In  the  chapel  where  the 
marriage  of  Mile.  Blanche  de  Laveline  was  on  the  point 
of  being  celebrated  with  Baron  Lowendaal,  who  had 
already  fled  to  Brussels  ortoCoblentz  with  the  Marquis 
de  Laveline  whose  consent  had  been  given  to  the  mar- 
riage. Do  you  know  what  motive,  powerful  motive, 
possessed  me,  that  led  me  to  pass  through  the  advance 
posts  and  risk  my  life  by  entering  a  position  occupied 
by  the  Austrian  troops  ?" 

Comte  de  Neipperg  made  a  movement  of  indifferent 
assent  and  said:  "  I  do  not  remember  very  well." 

"Then  I  will  aid  your  memory.  In  my  little  wash- 
room on  the  morning  of  August  loth,  I  made  a  solemn 
promise  to  Mile,  de  Laveline;  you  haven't  forgotten  that, 
have  you  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  the  Comte  with  a  sad  expression, 
"I  have  tried  not  to  think  of  it  for  many  years.  It 
was  you,  Madame  Lefebvre,  who  went  to  Versailles  to 
find  my  child  and  to  bring  him  to  his  mother  at  Jem- 
mapes.  Ah,  you  have  reopened  a  wound  that  had 
almost  healed.  Continue,  I  beg  you  speak  to  me  only 
of  the  present;  I  wish  to  forget  the  past;  you  have  risked 
great  dangers  to  come  into  this  city  with  the  laudable 
hope  of  being  able  to  save  a  French  officer  in  whom  you 
are  interested,  interested,  no  doubt,  because  he  is  the 
protege  of  your  husband,  the  fiance  of  Alice  and  your 
own  adopted  son.  Speak  to  me  of  Commandant  Hen- 
riot  and  permit  me  to  forget  the  unhappy  child  who  will 
always  be  mourned  by  his  mother  and  by  me." 

"  You  speak  of  Henriot  as  we  speak  of  some  one  who 
has  passed  away, "  said  Catharine  with  such  a  manner 
that  it  brought  Neipperg  to  his  feet  instantly. 

"  What  is  that  you  say  ?    What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That  you  believe  something  happened  to  this  child 
entrusted  to  Mother  Hoche  at  Versailles,  and  that  I 
promised  to  deliver  to  you  at  Jemmapes." 


34°     

"  The  child  is  dead." 

"  Who  told  you  so  ?  " 

"  Marquis  de  Laveline,  and  a  confidential  servant  of 
Baron  Lowendaal.  The  child  was  buried  under  the 
ruins  of  the  chateau  when  it  was  destroyed  by  the  burst- 
ing of  a  shell." 

"The  child  was  rescued  alive  from  the  ruins,  Comte." 

"  What  is  that  you  tell  me  ?  It  is  impossible.  Tell 
me,  Madame  Marchioness,  tell  me  quickly,  what  reason 
have  you  for  such  an  idea  ?  " 

"  The  child  was  saved  ;  he  has  lived  ;  he  is  to-day  a 
strong,  brave,  handsome  young  man,  and  he  is  loved  " — 

Neipperg,  who  at  every  word  was  becoming  more  and 
more  affected  and  whose  handsome  face  was  pale  as 
death,  murmured  : 

"  I  begin  to  understand." 

"  You  begin  to  understand  !  Your  child,  Comte,  was 
adopted  by  Lefebvre  and  me  ;  he  has  become  a  brave 
French  officer" 

"  Not  wholly,  I  trust." 

"  Comte  de  Neipperg,  you  have  delivered  your  son 
over  to  the  Prussians,  for  them  to  shoot." 

Neipperg,  overcome  by  the  words  of  the  marchioness, 
sank  upon  the  sofa  his  face  hidden  in  his  hands,  sob- 
bing violently  : 

"  This  is  terrible !  The  child  we  had  mourned  so 
long  returned  to  us  alive,  saved  by  a  miracle,  and  lost, 
delivered  up  by  me  to  the  terrible  justice  of  a  court- 
martial." 

"  He  must  be  saved." 

"  Yes,  I  will  save  him  ;  but  how  ?  What  means  can  I 
find  to  do  it  ?  " 

"  We  must  both  seek  a  means." 

"  Not  one  word  of  this  to  the  Comtesse  ;  it  would  kill 
her." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  the  time  for  the  execution 
has  been  fixed  ?  " 


"  To-morrow,  at  sunrise." 

"  Then  we  have  several  hours  to  work." 

"  And  if  we  can  employ  them  well,  they  will  be 
sufficient." 

"  Propose  an  exchange  of  prisoners  to  the  Governor. 
Lefebvre  will  give  anything  for  Henriot;  ten,  twenty, 
thirty  officers,  fifty,  if  the  Governor  wants  them.  We 
have  them,  prisoners." 

"  He  has  already  refused  an  exchange." 

"  What  shall  we  do  then  ? " 

"  I  think  I  have  found  a  means." 

"  Tell  me,  what  is  it  ?     Can  I  help  you  in  it  ? " 

"  No,  I  can  do  it  alone.  I  shall  go  to  the  palace  of 
the  Governor  and  demand  the  surrender  of  Commandant 
Henriot  on  the  grounds  that  he  is  an  Austrian  subject. 
Once  within  the  Austrian  consulate  he  will  be  saved. 
He  can  be  guarded  here.  A  prisoner  if  they  wish,  but 
kept  here  until  his  nationality  can  be  established." 

"  But  how  can  you  convince  them  that  Henriot  is  an 
Austrian  subject  ?  " 

"  Is  he  not  my  son  ?  Does  not  the  nationality  of  the 
father  descend  to  his  children  ?  Now,  as  for  you,  march- 
ioness, you  must  return  to  camp  immediately;  if  your 
identity  should  be  known,  I  fear  even  my  influence 
would  be  powerless  to  protect  you." 

The  marchioness  made  no  response;  she  dreaded  to 
offer  one  single  objection  to  interfere  with  the  Comte  in 
this  terrible  labor  he  had  before  him,  and  she  realized 
it  was  dangerous  for  her  to  remain  in  the  city  and 
perhaps  impossible  for  her  to  do  so  without  compromis- 
ing Henriot. 

"  Go  then,  Comte,"  she  said,"  and  may  you  be  success- 
ful in  bringing  Henriot  to  us  again." 

Provided  with  a  pass  from  the  Austrian  Consul  the 
marchioness  and  the  faithful  Violette  safely  went  from 
the  city  without  arousing  suspicion.  They  regained 
the  camp,  but  the  marchioness  had  a  heavy  heart  at 


342     

the  thought  that  her  Henriot  was  to  become  a  soldier  of 
Austria.  "  Will  he  accept  his  liberty  at  such  a  price  ?  " 
she  said,  in  recounting  to  Lefebvre  what  had  passed 
between  herself  and  Comte  de  Neipperg. 

Lefebvre  reflected  a  moment: 

"The  engineers  say  they  have  finished;  they  have 
reported  to  the  Emperor  and  he  is  pleased.  Now, 
I  shall  give  the  order  to  attack  !  Rest  easy,  wife;  they 
will  never  shoot  Henriot.  I  have  Oudinot  with  his 
Grenadiers;  I  shall  go  at  their  head,  and,  by  God, 
to-night  I  shall  capture  Danzig." 


XLVI. 

LONG    LIVE    THE    EMPEROR. 

WHILE  Lefebvre  was  preparing  for  the  assault,  Comte 
de  Neipperg  was  at  the  palace  of  Marshal  Kalkreuth 
soliciting  an  audience. 

He  confidentially  acquainted  the  Marshal  with  the 
secret  of  the  presence  of  Commandant  Henriot  in  the 
ranks  of  the  French  army,  explained  how  by  birth  he 
was  a  subject  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria  and  begged 
the  prisoner  should  be  remanded  to  'his  charge. 

Prussia  and  Russia  held  the  balance  of  power  against 
Austria,  but  Austria  could,  at  any  time,  turn  its  arms  for 
or  against  Napoleon.  The  presence  of  Comte  de  Neip- 
perg at  Danzig  was  of  the  highest  diplomatic  impor- 
tance; his  intervention  with  the  conqueror  could  relieve 
the  city  of  many  of  the  horrors  that  would  be  attendant 
upon  its  capture  ;  the  palace  of  the  Consul-General  of 
Austria  was  neutral  territory  where  the  capitulation,  if 
the  French  forced  their  way  through  the  last  defenses, 
could  be  arranged.  The  Marshal  considered  all  these 
arguments  and  then  ordered  that  the  French  prisoner 
should  be  conducted  under  escort  to  the  Austrian  Con- 


343 

sulate,  where  he  was  to  remain  guarded,  at  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  authorities  who  would  examine  further  into 
the  claims  put  forward  by  the  Comte. 

The  meeting  of  Henriot  and  Alice  was  touching  and 
joyful;  they  forgot  the  dangers  surrounding  them;  they 
abandoned  themselves  to  delicious  projects  for  their 
future  and  in  their  hopes  of  happiness  they  already 
believed  they  were  free  from  every  peril.  When  the 
siege  was  terminated  and  with  the  consent  of  Marshal 
Lefebvre,  they  would  get  married  and  forget  all  about 
the  unhappy  dream  they  had  at  Danzig.  Comte  de  Neip- 
perg  after  having  left  Henriot  and  Alice  to  their  love- 
making,  invited  the  young  man  to  come  to  him  before 
the  supper  hour  and  confer  with  him  alone  in  the  library. 

Henriot  hastened  to  the  appointment,  thinking  the 
Consul  intended  suggesting  some  way  by  which  he 
could  return  to  the  French  camp,  but  when  he  was 
seated  in  the  room  Neipperg  said  with  great  gravity 
and  seriousness  that  he  wished  from  him  some  account 
of  his  early  years,  and  desired  to  know  all  he  could  re- 
member about  his  childhood. 

Henriot  repeated  with  frankness  and  simplicity  the 
incidents  of  his  boy  days  passed  in  the  camp;  he  told 
how  he  was  a  child  of  the  bivouac;  he  vaguely  recalled 
Versailles  where  he  had  played  before  the  little  fruit- 
store  of  Mother  Hoche;  his  real  life,  as  he  remembered 
it,  commenced  in  the  battalions  of  Sambre-et-Meuse  and 
of  the  Moselle  where  he  had  been  truly  the  child  of  the 
regiment.  With  undisguised  emotion,  he  told  of  the 
first  impressions  received  in  this  company  of  soldiers, 
how  his  youth  had  passed  within  the  sound  of  the  drum, 
accustomed  to  alarms,  enduring  long  marches,  familiar- 
ized with  fatigue,  rejoicing  in  victories. 

Neipperg  cautiously  asked  about  his  parents,  but 
Henriot  responded  he  had  never  known  them,  the  Mar- 
shal and  his  wife  were  his  only  friends.  Then  the  Consul 
in  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion  said  : 


344     

"  Your  parents  are  living,  my  young  friend,  and  you 
will,  perhaps,  return  to  them  soon;  very  soon  you  may 
be  in  their  presence." 

Henriot  made  a  movement  that  indicated  surprise  and 
perhaps  a  little  indifference. 

"  Pardon,  monsieur,"  he  said,  "  my  parents  abandoned 
me,  they  never  gave  any  care  to  my  infancy,  they  have 
never  made  any  attempt  to  see  me,  they  have  never 
allowed  me  to  hear  from  them,  how  can  you  think  my 
heart  would  go  out  to  them  ?  What  sentiments  of 
affection  or  of  tenderness  can  I  have  for  those  who  have 
never  manifested  any  for  me  ?  " 

"  Do  not  accuse  them,  possibly  circumstances  stronger 
than  you  can  imagine  existed  that  made  other  action 
impossible;  they  might  have  thought  you  dead,  and 
their  hearts  through  long  suffering  of  this  supposed 
affliction  might  have  become  deadened.  To-day  their 
tears  are  dried;  their  joy  is  again  aroused  by  looking 
into  your  eyes — Henriot  do  you  wish  to  embrace  your 
mother  ?" 

The  young  man  was  deeply  affected,  the  name  of 
mother  which  he  had  only  known  as  that  of  the  excel- 
lent wife  of  Lefebvre  awakened  in  him  a  great  fervor, 
he  was  to  hear  from  the  lips  of  his  mother  herself,  he 
was  to  know  from  her  that  he  was  not  alone,  that  he 
was  no  longer  a  waif,  received  in  charity,  brought  up  by 
a  good  soldier  and  a  good  cantiniere.  In  the  presence 
of  the  woman  who  called  herself  his  mother  he  would 
throw  aside  the  indifference  he  displayed  in  the 
face  of  the  consul,  his  soul  responded  rapturously  to  the 
burst  of  new  affection  these  words  kindled  within  him, 
and  with  a  trembling  voice  he  asked  : 

"When  can  I  see  my  mother,  monsieur?" 

"This  moment,"  responded  the  happy  Comte  as 
hurrying  to  the  door  of  the  salon,  he  threw  it  open  dis- 
closing Alice  with  the  Comtesse,  and  seizing  his  wife's 
hand  he  exclaimed  : 


345 

"  Blanche  !  my  dear  Blanche,  embrace  your  son  ?" 

And  rapidly,  taking  advantage  of  her  momentary 
hesitation  impossible  to  avoid,  he  repeated  the  revela- 
tions Catharine  had  made,  and  Madame  de  Neipperg 
threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  Henriot. 

The  first  feelings  passed,  Henriot  with  a  troubled  look 
turned  towards  Neipperg,  who  stood  behind  his  wife 
whose  eyes  were  wet  with  tears  : 

"  Then,  monsieur,  you  are  my  father  ?" 

The  only  response  was  Neipperg's  opened  arms  and 
the  joyous  look  upon  his  face. 

"  Our  son  is  saved  !  "  said  the  Comtesse.  "  My  dear 
Alice,  I  hope  no  obstacle  will  now  oppose  this  union 
you  both  desire.  The  Comte  and  I  have  nothing  but 
good  wishes  for  your  happiness." 

"  We  will  leave  the  Comtesse  and  Alice  at  once," 
Neipperg  said,  "  and  go  to  the  Governor's  palace.  I 
wish,  my  dear  son,  to  present  you  officially  to  Marshal 
Kalkreuth  and  make  known  to  him  your  real  position.  " 

"  I  am  at  your  orders,  monsieur,"  said  Henriot. 

"  You  still  wear  the  Austrian  uniform,  I  see,  with 
which  you  imprudently  introduced  yourself  •  into  the 
city.  Very  well,  wear  it  now  because  you  have  the  right 
to  do  so,  you  have  the  dress  of  a  captain  and  you  were 
chief  of  squadron  in  the  French  army;  I  will  undertake 
to  see  your  rank  is  kept  the  same;  the  Emperor  of 
Austria,  my  august  sovereign,  will  certainly  endorse  this 
promise  when  we  hear  from  him.  Come  Henriot,  Mar- 
shal Kalkreuth  awaits  your  call.  " 

Henriot,  deathly  pale,  did  not  stir;  his  hands  were 
clasped  and  a  gleam  of  anger  was  in  his  eyes  as  he 
replied: 

"  What  are  you  saying,  monsieur  ?  I  do  not  thorough- 
ly understand  you;  I  am  now  as  I  was  yesterday,  and  I 
was  then  as  I  have  been  always,  a  French  officer  devoted 
to  France  and  to  the  Emperor,  and  if  I  have  worn  this 
disguise  for  some  hours,  I  am  ready  now  to  lay  it  aside 


and  resume  my  dress  as  a  commander  of  Hussars;  but 
no  other  !  "  and  tearing  off  the  white  coat  of  the  Aus- 
trian, Henriot  exposed  the  under  vest  of  the  French 
Hussars. 

"  Henriot  !  do  not  be  guilty  of  this  folly,  "  cried  Neip- 
perg.  "  You  are  my  son  and  so  you  are  an  Austrian 
subject,  I  offer  to  secure  for  you  your  former  rank  in 
the  army  of  my  sovereign,  your  advancement  will 
be  certain,  will  be  rapid,  all  I  propose  is  for  your 
advantage.  " 

"  You  propose  to  me  treason  !  " 

•'  Take  care  of  your  words;  it  is  your  father  you  are 
speaking  to.  " 

Comtesse  de  Neipperg  advanced  between  the  two,  sur- 
prised and  pained  by  this  altercation. 

"  My  husband,  my  son,  be  calm,  "  she  said.  "  I  under- 
stand the  scruples  of  Henriot.  They  are  those  of  an 
honorable  soldier  ;  from  his  earliest  years  he  has  served 
France,  it  is  not  easy  to  change  his  camp;  leave  him  to 
his  reflections;  put  him  not  under  restraint  and  do  not 
think  that  your  authority  should  force  him  to  abjure  his 
oath  as  a  soldier.  " 

"  Many  thanks,  my  dear  mother,"  said  Henriot,  "for 
your  kind  and  thoughtful  intercession.  I  am  sure  you 
do  not  wish  your  son  to  be  a  renegade  and  a  traitor." 

"  Henriot,  my  son,  do  not  use  such  terrible  words." 

"  I  am  a  Frenchman — I  shall  remain  a  Frenchman  !  " 

"  Obstinate  boy  !  I  would  as  soon  see  you  dead  !  " 
Neipperg  exclaimed,  angrily. 

"  I  would  prefer  to  die  rather  than  to  be  a  traitor 
to  my  flag." 

"  I  do  not  ask  treason  of  you,"  replied  the  Comte. 
"  You  are  in  this  city  in  the  costume  of  an  officer  be- 
longing to  a  neutral  country.  I  urge  you  to  carry  out 
this  character  of  neutrality.  You  are  my  son  ;  your 
birth  guarantees  you  the  safeguard  of  Austrian  nation- 
ality. Be  reasonable  ;  consider  what  I  am  trying  to  do 


347     

for  you.  Consider  your  mother ;  we  are  your  only 
natural  protectors,  your  family." 

"  I  have  known  no  other  mother  than  France,  and  my 
family  is  my  regiment,"  cried  Henriot,  with  exultation. 
"  I  have  committed  one  fault.  I  am  here  in  this  city  as  a 
spy.  I  demand  to  be  shot  as  such.  At  least  my  com- 
rades who  do  not  know  the  real  reason  of  my  presence 
here  will  believe  I  found  death  in  the  midst  of  my 
enemies,  although  dressed  in  a  foreign  uniform  yet 
wearing  it  as  a  spy  and  not  as  a  deserter." 

The  affecting  scene  was  interrupted  by  the  discharge 
of  guns  and  the  explosion  of  cannon  ;  sounds  came  from 
the  direction  of  the  ramparts  ;  the  house  trembled  be- 
neath the  fury  of  the  artillery,  while  the  cries  and  roars 
and  shrieks  of  the  affrighted  crowd  arose  in  the  streets. 
Then  there  came  a  moment  of  silence  and  after  it  a 
mighty  crowd  rushing  through  the  avenue  beneath  the 
windows  of  the  consulate,  panic-stricken,  filled  with 
terror,  thinking  of  nothing  but  flight  and  safety.  The 
roll  of  musketry  followed  them,  and  the  echo  of  drums 
was  heard  indistinctly  from  the  distance. 

"  What  is  that  ?"  the  Comtesse  exclaimed,  anxiously. 

"  An  attempted  assault  by  the  French  who  have 
probably  been  repulsed,"  Neipperg  replied,  coldly. 
"  See  here,  Henriot,  if  you  refuse  to  serve  Austria,  you 
must  consider  yourself  in  a  dangerous  position  here 
and  must  submit  to  the  rigorous  laws  of  a  besieged  city. 
But  there  is  yet  time  for  you  to  reflect." 

"  I  have  reflected,  and  this  is  my  response,"  Henriot 
said  fiercely,  and  striding  to  the  window  he  threw  it 
violently  open,  looked  down  upon  the  crowd  of  affrighted 
citizens  as  they  rushed  along,  and  then  leaning  well  out 
so  they  all  might  see  him,  he  shouted  in  a  voice  that  was 
heard  above  the  noise  of  the  masses: 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !  " 

"  Unfortunate,  unfortunate  !  Nothing  can  save  him 
now,"  and  Neipperg  fell  upon  the  lounge  unmanned 


348     

and  feeling  he  was  powerless  to  shield  the  son,  who  so 
rashly  refused  his  aid.  He  pressed  his  wife  in  his  arms, 
and  neither  found  voice  for  a  word. 

But  to  this  seditious  cry  that  Henriot  hurled  defiantly 


forth  from  the  window,  a  responsive  voice  came  up  from 
below: 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !  Here  we  are,  commandant; 
we  have  arrived  in  time,  thank  God  !  En  avant,  my 
friends!  The  commandant  is  there  !  " 

And  the  gigantic  silhouette  of  Violette,  wearing  his 
enormous  tricolored  plume  and  brandishing  his  baton, 


349 

appeared  before  the  window  and  behind  him  the  deter- 
mined faces  of  eight  tall  Grenadiers.  Violette  climbed 
on  to  the  balcony,  laughing: 

"  This  is  my  particular  way  of  getting  in  here." 

The  Grenadiers  rushed  into  the  court  below,  and  in  an 
instant  Henriot  again  found  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
men. 

"  Down  with  your  guns  !  "  commanded  Violette,  drop- 
ping his  baton  ;  "  respect  the  conquered,  Danzig  is 
taken.  We  have  no  right  to  touch  a  hair  of  the  head  of 
its  defenders;  that  is  the  order  of  the  Marshal.  Marshal 
Kalkreuth  has  surrendered  and  the  city  is  ours.  Long 
live  the  Emperor  !" 

The  capture  of  Danzig  was  accomplished. 

The  delayed  reinforcements  had  arrived.  Marshal 
Mortier,  Oudinot  with  his  Grenadiers,  Marshal  Lannes 
with  his  infantry  reserve,  had  come  to  support 
the  besieging  force.  Oudinot  with  his  Grenadiers 
chased  back  the  Russians  and  made  it  impossible  for 
them  to  aid  the  Prussians.  In  the  final  combat  where 
three  marshals  of  France  were  personally  involved,  a 
Russian  bullet  passed  between  Oudinot  and  Lannes  as 
they  were  conferring  and  happily  missed  them  both. 
Oudinot  had  a  horse  killed  under  him  and  the  uniform 
of  Lannes  was  covered  with  dirt  and  blood. 

In  the  midst  of  the  conflict  an  interesting  incident 
occurred:  England  had  sent  a  man-of-war  to  the  aid  of 
Danzig,  and  it  had  kept  near  the  city  supplying  the  be- 
sieged with  munitions.  One  of  the  corvettes  that  ac- 
companied it,  the  Dauntless,  had  profited  by  a  slight 
trouble  further  North  to  sail  up  the  Vistula,  but  being 
attacked  by  a  vigorous  artillery  fire  from  the  French  it 
attempted  to  retreat  when  it  ran  on  a  sand-bank,  and 
was  captured  by  a  company  of  Grenadiers. 

Marshal  Lefebvre  decided  to  make  the  grand  stroke 
himself.  It  was  with  joy  he  saw  his  wife  return  from 
her  perilous  mission  and  relieve  him  of  the  anxiety  of 


35° 

her  presence  in  the  city  he  proposed  to  storm;  the  news 
she  had  brought  to  him  of  Henriot  saddened  him,  for  he 
had  no  faith  in  the  promises  made  to  her,  and  it  was  this 
feeling  that  prompted  him  to  hasten  the  assault. 

At  six  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  May  zist,  following 
the  order  of  Lefebvre,  four  columns  of  4,000  men  each  ad- 
vanced against  the  city.  They  were  sheltered  some- 
what by  an  earthwork,  and  they  were  ordered  to  make 
their  advance  in  silence  awaiting  a  signal  before  the 
final  dash.  The  ramparts  against  which  they  marched 
were  formidable  and  were  defended  by  heavy  palisades, 
strengthened  by  mud  and  sand  impervious  to  bullets 
and  difficult  to  break.  Three  enormous  beams  were 
suspended  above  the  ramparts  by  heavy  ropes  ready  to 
be  precipitated  upon  the  advancing  troops.  As  the 
columns  lay  quiet  awaiting  the  signal  for  the  charge, 
Violette  approached  General  Lariboiser,  who  led  the 
sappeurs  and  said  to  him  : 

"  General,  there  are  without  doubt  many  braver  men 
than  I  in  the  army,  but  they  may  not  think  of  this, 
and  so  I  propose  you  allow  me  to  go  forward  and 
cut  the  ropes  that  are  holding  up  those  beams.  My 
height  will  give  me  an  advantage  in  doing  it." 

The  general  seized  Violette's  hand  and  shook  it 
warmly,  saying: 

"Go,  my  brave  fellow  and  receive  the  salute  of  a 
thousand  men." 

Violette,  who  had  supplied  himself  with  an  axe,  glided 
quietly  forward  and  when  he  came  under  the  walls  of 
the  ramparts,  he  worked  his  way  gradually  to  the  point 
where  the  ropes  supporting  the  beams  were  concentrated 
and  raising  himself  to  full  height,  he  brought  his  hatchet 
down  across  them,  they  parted  and  the  great  wooden 
structure  fell  harmlessly  to  the  ground. 

At  the  first  blow  of  the  hatchet,  Lefebvre  brandished 
his  sabre  above  his  head  and  shouted: 

"  Grenadiers,  advance  !  Danzig  is  ours  !  " 


351 

They  came  like  a  torrent,  a  cataract  of  men,  a  furious 
flood  carrying  everything  before  it  and  they  swarmed 
over  the  ramparts  without  firing  a  shot.  The  fleeing 
Prussians  rallied  and  opened  a  fire  of  musketry  and 
cannon,  but  nothing  could  stop  the  advance  of  the  vic- 
torious French;  Marshal  Kalkreuth  realized  resistance 
was  useless  and  he  surrendered  to  Colonel  Lacoste. 

It  was  then  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

The  firing  ceased  and  Marshal  Lefebvre  considered 
the  conditions  of  surrender.  He  consented  to  a  sus- 
pension of  arms  until  he  had  advised  Napoleon  of  the 
capture  of  the  city,  and  asked  from  him  the  terms  of 
its  capitulation. 

It  was  during  the  conferences  between  Lefebvre  and 
Kalkreuth  that  Violette  made  his  way  to  the  Austrian 
Consulate. 

XLVII. 

NAPOLEON'S  SECRET. 

THE  news  of  the  fall  of  Danzig  carried  .immeasurable 
joy  to  the  heart  of  Napoleon  and  he  decided  at  once  to 
visit  the  city,  wishing  to  study  in  person  its  defenses  and 
to  acquaint  himself  with  its  resources.  It  required  but 
little  time  to  prepare  for  the  short  journey  and  within  a 
few  hours  after  the  arrival  of  the  courier  with  the  tidings 
of  the  victory,  Napoleon  had  left  his  headquarters  at 
Finckenstein  and  was  travelling  towards  Danzig. 

The  Emperor  publicly  complimented  Lefebvre  on  his 
surpassing  bravery  and  congratulated  General  Chas- 
seloup  on  his  engineering  work,  and  had  seated  himself 
to  study  the  provisions  of  the  surrender  and  arrange  for 
the  formal  triumphal  entry  of  the  victorious  troops  into 
the  city,  when  Rapp  entered  his  tent  with  the  announce- 
ment that  the  Marchioness  Lefebvre  requested  an 
audience. 


352    

"  How  is  that,  the  marchioness  here  !  "  he  exclaimed 
in  surprise.  "They  say  she  is  very  much  attached  to 
her  husband,  an  excellent  example;  but  that  is  no  reason 
why  she  should  follow  him  to  the  camp;  the  place  for 
the  wives  of  our  marshals  is  at  court,  with  their  Empress, 
and  the  place  for  their  husbands  is  in  the  trenches  with 
their  troops." 

But  the  Emperor  checked  himself  and  then  continued: 

"  True  I  have  discouraged  Josephine  coming  here,  she 
said  in  her  last  letter  she  had  an  irresistible  desire  to 
join  me  in  Poland.  Perhaps  she  would  find  the  Poles 
worse  than  the  snow  of  their  infernal  country.  I  won- 
der though  if  Josephine  could  have  sent  the  marchioness 
here  to  watch  me  ?  We  will  see  !  I  am  an  old  monkey 
to  be  caught  making  faces.  Rapp,  show  in  the  march- 
ioness." 

Catharine  never  felt  fully  at  her  ease  in  the  presence 
of  Napoleon,  for  he  had  a  way  of  looking  at  one  that 
was  most  searching  ;  his  glance  seemed  to  penetrate 
into  one's  soul.  Nor  was  he  always  polite,  but  fre- 
quently exceedingly  brusque  and  curt,  and  at  such 
times  he  made  no  difference  in  the  way  he  treated  men 
or  women. 

He  did  not  entertain  that  reverent  regard  for  women 
that  many  do,  and  numerous  anecdotes  are  told  and 
many  of  his  comments  about  women  are  repeated. 
Some  of  these  are  brutally  blunt,  as  was  his  famous 
response  to  a  question  by  Madame  de  Stael.  That  in- 
sufferable blue-stocking  asked  him  one  day  : 

"  General,  what  woman  in  France  do  you  admire  the 
most?  "  and  she  awaited  the  answer  she  thought  would 
be  a  compliment  to  herself. 

"  The  one  who  has  the  most  children  !  "  Napoleon  re- 
plied, sharply. 

Many  times  Catharine  heard  ungracious  repartees 
that  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of  the  Emperor  when  he  had 
been  too  ardently  or  unwisely  pursued  by  the  ladies  of 


353 

the  Court,  desirous  of  attracting  the  attention  of  the 
ruler,  and  who,  like  la  Remusat,  after  meeting  rebuke 
had  taken  their  revenge  by  setting  his  words  down  on 
paper  as  the  needless  insults  from  an  unprovoked  man. 

And  yet  she  did  not  fear  his  presence  so  much  as  she 
might,  because  she  knew  how  to  make  answers  herself ; 
as  she  had  often  said,  her  tongue  was  not  carried  in  her 
pocket,  and  she  recalled  the  fact  that  she  had  known 
him  when  he  was  an  artillery  officer  without  a  sou  in 
the  world,  and  the  remembrance  of  that  last  day  at  the 
Hotel  de  Metz  when  she  returned  the  linen  and  was  re- 
warded by  his  amorous  attack  often  served  to  give  her 
assurance. 

Still,  it  was  not  without  a  lively  uncertainty  in  her 
heart  that  she  entered  the  tent  when  Rapp  raised  the 
canvas  and  introduced  her. 

After  having  made  her  best  courtesies,  in  conformity 
with  the  lessons  given  her  by  Despreaux,  the  march- 
ioness remained  silent,  awaiting  the  Emperor's  ques- 
tions. Napoleon  was  in  an  especially  good  humor ;  the 
capture  of  Danzig  was  pleasing ;  he  had  nothing  but 
esteem  for  this  noble  wife  of  brave  Lefebvre  and  respect 
for  her  bravery  in  crossing  disturbed  Europe  with  so 
simple  an  escort. 

Catharine,  encouraged  by  the  manner  of  the  Emperor, 
who  invited  her  to  be  seated,  began  her  story,  but  was 
cautious  how  she  told  it.  She  reminded  him  of  the  con- 
stant anxiety  of  the  Empress,  how  she  always  saw 
imaginary  dangers  near  to  His  Majesty  while  he  was 
away  from  her,  how  she  was  uneasy  unless  she  learned 
daily  of  his  health.  Finally  she  reached  the  first  object 
of  her  mission,  she  repeated  the  sad  incidents  attend- 
ing the  death  of  Napoleon  Charles,  the  child  of  Hor- 
tense. 

A  sob,  short  and  sharp,  stirred  the  breast  of  Napoleon. 
The  Emperor  loved  the  child,  this  unpitying  conqueror, 
this  destroyer  of  generations,  this  ravager  of  continents 


354 


had  the  feebleness  to  adore  children.  "  He  loved  his 
son,  this  vanquisher,"  said  Victor  Hugo,  and  in  his  prison 
at  Saint  Helena,  he  carried  a  picture  of  a  child,  the  sole 
inheritor  of  his  genius. 

Many  times  had  Catharine  seen  him  playing  with  Na- 
poleon Charles,  holding 
him  in  his  lap  during  din- 
ner and  setting  him  on  the 
table  itself  among  the 
plates,  the  silver  service, 
the  sweets  and  laughing 
heartily  when  the  child  in 
his  merriment  would  plunge 
his  foot  into  a  dish  of  deli- 
cacies. Or  he  would  take 
the  baby  into  his  private 
room,  and  would  interrupt 
his  studying  of  a  plan  of 
battle,  or  stop  his  dictation 
of  instructions  to  some 
prefect,  to  feed  patties  to 
the  infant  or  carry  it 
around  on  his  back.  He 
was  always  "  Uncle  Bi- 
biche,"  this  was  the  name 
Napoleon  Charles  in  his  in- 
fantile prattle  gave  to  the 
great  conqueror. 

Napoleon  intended  to 
adopt  this  child  of  Hor- 
tense  ;  without  doubt  he 
did  not  entirely  ignore  the  scandalous  stories  that 
were  circulated  about  him;  he  knew  the  libelers  in- 
sinuated he  had  married  his  stepdaughter  to  Louis 
when  she  was  giving  evidence  of  an  Imperial  love. 
The  Moniteur  had  announced,  according  to  usage  in 
such  instances,  that  <(  Madame  Louis  Bonaparte  gave 


355 

birth  to  a  son  on  the  18  Vendemiaire,"  as  if  the  heir  to 
the  Empire  were  born.  But  Napoleon  was  not  a  man 
to  be  stopped  in  his  projects  by  the  fear  of  gossip  or  by 
the  tongues  of  scandal.  He  had  studied  the  possibility 
of  willing  his  crown  to  the  child  of  Hortense  and  gave 
no  heed  to  the  suspicions  that  credited  him  with  its 
paternity.  The  death  of  the  boy  disturbed  all  his  plans, 
changed  his  projects. 

For  some  minutes  after  Catharine  had  told  of  the  un- 
happy event  Napoleon  remained  wrapped  in  thought 
and  speechless,  without  moving,  without  changing  his 
position.  Then  he  raised  his  head  and  making  a  strong 
effort  at  self-control,  smothering  his  emotion  and  clear- 
ing his  voice,  he  asked: 

"What  other  news  do  you  bring,  marchioness?" 

"  Sire,  in  this  world  the  sadness  and  the  joys  follow 
each  other,  and  births  alternate  with  deaths.  I  am  not 
only  the  messenger  of  unpleasant  tidings,  I  have  also  to 
make  known  the  birth  of  a  child  that,  without  consoling 
you  for  the  loss  you  have  just  sustained,  may  serve  to 
lessen  your  sorrow.  A  lady  of  the  court  who  was 
attached  to  the  household  of  Her  Highness,  Princess 
Caroline,  is  a  mother  " 

"  Eleonore  has  a  baby.  A  son,  perhaps  ?  "  Napoleon 
cried  joyfully. 

"Yes,  sire,  a  son,  and  he  has  received  the  name  of 
Leon." 

Napoleon  extended  both  hands  to  Catharine: 

"  You  are  certain  of  what  you  say  ?" 

"Perfectly,  sire;  I  have  seen  the  child — it  resembles 
you." 

The  Emperor  looked  fixedly  at  Catharine  but  there 
was  no  sign  of  anger  in  his  manner  at  this  remark. 

"  It  is  not  untruly  that  you  are  called  Sans-Gene,"  and 
the  Emperor  playfully  fondled  Catharine's  cheek  and 
then  walked  quickly  up  and  down  the  narrow  limits  of 
his  tent,  when  ceasing  his  nervous  movement  he  con- 


356     

tinued:  "You  have  Napoleon's  secret,  be  good  enough 
to  guard  it." 

"  Sire,  I  have  also  a  secret  of  the  Empress  and  my 
duty  is  to  confide  it  to  you." 

"Josephine  has  a  secret  ?  She  has  charged  you  with 
making  me  acquainted  with  it!  What  is  it  then  ?  I  pre- 
sume some  new  debt  incurred  to  her  dressmaker  or  fur- 
nisher !  Josephine  is  fond  of  dressmakers.  With  the 
money  she  spends  foolishly  each  year,  I  could  arm  a 
man-of-war,  send  a  division  by  the  way  of  the  canal 
from  Bordeaux  and  open  the  route  to  Mayence.  Go  on, 
tell  me  of  this  new  folly.  Tell  me  the  sum  quick,  how 
much?" 

"  Sire,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  money." 

"And  what  then  is  it,  if  you  please  ? " 

"  The  Empress  who  is  so  good  and  who  loves  you  so 
tenderly  is  aware  of  the  birth  of  this  babe  " 

"  Ah  !  the  Empress  knows  " 

"  She  has  been  made  acquainted  with  all  !  Your 
Majesty  has  niany  envious  and  unscrupulous  members 
of  your  court  " 

"Yes,  I  understand,  my  wife  is  opposed  by  my  sisters 
Elisa  and  Caroline,  who  are  actuated  by  sentiments  I 
much  regret.  Ah,  marchioness,  my  family  has  given  me 
more  trouble  than  all  the  kings  of  Europe  put  together. 
Well,  what  did  the  Empress  say  ?  I  am  curious  to  know 
her  sentiments  concerning  the  child." 

"  The  Empress  wishes  Your  Majesty's  permission  to 
adopt  the  child." 

"  Yes,"  the  Emperor  replied  after  a  moment's  thought. 
"  I  can  see  that  the  adoption  of  this  infant  would  be  a 
new  and  powerful  assistance.  Murat,  Louis,  Joseph, 
all  those  who  dream  of  succeeding  me  would  doubtless 
abandon  their  hopes,  their  illusions.  The  adoption  of 
this  child  would  give  me  an  heir.  But  what  would 
the  kings  of  Europe  say  ?  Would  they  recognize 
the  rights  of  such  an  heir?  Would  that  I  might  have 


357     

a  child,  an  heir,  a  Napoleon  II.,  from  some  reigning 
family." 

The  Emperor  ceased  speaking,  fearing  he  had  already 
said  too  much  and  his  suspicious  glance  was  again 
fixed  on  the  marchioness  who  in  her  turn  made  a  deep 
reverence,  saying: 

"  Sire,  my  mission  is  ended.  I  shall  take  my  leave 
with  the  permission  of  Your  Majesty,  who  will  doubtless 
make  known  your  decision  on  this  matter  to  the  Em- 
press. I  return  to  France  happy  in  having  found  Your 
Majesty  enjoying  good  health,  and  always  victorious.  " 

"  Thanks  to  your  husband,  marchioness.  And  thanks 
to  you  for  your  good  news." 

The  Emperor,  radiant  with  smiles,  extended  his  hand 
to  Catherine  signifying  that  the  interview  was  at  an 
end. 

XLVIII. 

THE    LOVES   OF    NAPOLEON. 

THE  divorce!  The  great  event  of  the  Imperial  life 
has  not  yet  emerged  from  its  obscurity  in  the  mind  of 
the  Emperor;  it  was  one  of  those  confused  perceptions 
of  a  possible  event,  but  improbable,  that  floated 
through  his  brain  until  it  became  a  fact. 

At  several  times  during  his  married  life,  Napoleon 
had  considered  some  means  for  breaking  the  marriage 
with  Josephine.  First,  when  returning  from  Egypt, 
Bonaparte  had  been  informed  of  the  wild  excesses  in- 
dulged in  by  his  volatile  Creole,  again  when  the  religious 
marriage  was  consummated  and  finally  at  the  moment 
of  departure  for  the  campaign  in  Germany.  Fouche, 
one  of  the  most  ardent  counsellors  of  this  divorce,  had 
advised,  urged,  sought  in  every  way  to  bring  it  about, 
but  Josephine  invariably,  after  an  interview  with  the 
Emperor,  dispelled  all  immediate  danger  of  such  an 
incident. 


—     35*     

But  on  the  field  of  battle  the  vanquisher  of  Europe 
had  himself  been  vanquished.  The  infidelities  that 
Napoleon  had  enjoyed  up  to  this  moment  are  well 
worth  recapitulation.  For  the  names  of  the  mistresses 
of  Napoleon  are  pretty  generally  known.  The  Duchess 
d'Abrantes,  Mademoiselle  d'Avrillon,  Constant,  Bour- 
rienne,  Fain  and  many  others  who  have  written  familiar 
memoirs  or  apocryphal  histories  and  royalist  libels,  have 
given  us  a  complete  picture  of  the  loves  of  Bonaparte 
and  of  the  Emperor.  Finally  M.  Frederic  Masson,  in  a 
book  that  is  strengthened  by  indisputable  documents, 
exceedingly  interesting  and  impartial,  offers  us  an  anec- 
dotal history 'of  the  Imperial  mistresses.  And  none  of 
these  amiable  ladies  ever  had  the  slightest  influence 
upon  Napoleon's  actions. 

We  know  little  of  his  liaisons  when  as  an  officer  he 
was  poor,  laborious,  nervous  and  not  companionable, 
yet  it  is  probable  that  at  Valence  or  at  Auxonne  hiis  love 
adventures  were  numerous,  although  there  is  no  evidence 
of  their  having  existed  beyond  the  evening  of  their 
occurrence.  There  is  attributed  to  him  during  the  cam- 
paign of  Piedmont,  an  episode  with  Madame  Turreau, 
the  wife  of  the  representative  at  that  place.  Her  hus- 
band never  seems  to  have  entertained  any  suspicion  of 
the  affair,  or  at  least  if  he  did  it  was  never  apparent. 
The  reward  of  his  ignorance  came  with  the  13  Vende- 
miaire  when  Napoleon  chose  Turreau  as  General  of  the 
Army  of  the  Interior,  and,  with  the  influence  of  Barras, 
made  him  commander-in-chief  of  the  troops  of  the  Con- 
vention. Later  Bonaparte  extended  still  greater  favors 
to  Turreau  giving  him  an  influential  post  in  the  army 
of  Italy  which  was  lucrative,  and  when  Turreau  died 
Napoleon  lavished  upon  his  widow  ample  means  for  her 
luxurious  support  and  the  gratification  of  all  her  wishes. 

One  of  his  most  romantic  liaisons  was  that  in  which  Ma- 
dame Foures  figures  as  the  heroine.  At  Cairo,  at  a  ball, 
given  in  a  public  garden  called  the  Tivoli,  operated  upon 


359    

the  same  plan  as  the  famous  Vauxhall  of  Paris,  Napoleon 
one  evening  met  a  charming  little  blonde,  who  was 
noticeable  among  the  ladies  of  dark  skin  and  black  hair, 
and  the  elder  ladies  who  had  come  down  from  Marseilles 
or  Malta  to  mingle  with  the  enjoyments  of  this  attrac- 
tive resort.  Napoleon  was  enchained  by  the  woman's 
beauty  and  upon  inquiry  learned  that  she  was  a  French 
modiste  by  name  Marguerite  Pauline  Bellisle,  who  had 
married  a  man  named  Foures.  Shortly  after  the  cere- 
mony the  husband,  who  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Twenty- 
second  Chasseurs,  was  ordered  to  join  his  regiment  in 
Egypt.  This  threatened  separation  in  the  very  begin- 
ning of  their  honeymoon  brought  sadness  into  the  hearts 
of  the  two  lovers,  and  it  finally  resulted  in  the  wife  re- 
solving to  disguise  herself  in  the  costume  of  a  chasseur, 
and  slip  aboard  the  vessel  that  was  to  convey  her  hus- 
band to  Africa. 

We  have  seen  in  the  beginning  of  this  history  that 
Rene  disguised  in  the  attire  of  a  man  that  she  might 
follow  her  lover  Marcel.  It  was  only  after  she  reached 
Cairo  that  Madame  Foures  resumed  her  proper  dress. 
Bonaparte  was  pleased  with  her  spirit,  but  for  several 
days  she  refused  the  presents  he  offered  her  and  resisted 
his  importunities.  Finally  she  consented,  and  her  hus- 
band as  often  appears  in  the  tangled  plot  of  comic  opera, 
was  entrusted  with  a  mission  of  great  importance  to 
France  and  embarked  for  that  country.  He  sailed  alone, 
carrying  with  him  testimonials  from  the  commander-in- 
chief  as  to  his  capacity,  his  ability,  his  bravery;  he  was 
instructed  to  convey  to  the  Directory  a  message  of  the 
highest  importance,  and  when  the  mission  was  completed 
he  was  to  return  to  Egypt. 

The  officer,  delighted  with  the  honor  done  him,  took 
the  ship  forthwith,  while  Bonaparte,  so  soon  as  it  sailed, 
gave  a  royal  dinner  to  the  pretty  Madame  Foures  and  a 
distinguished  company. 

The  general  installed  Madame  Foures  in  a  handsome 


house  near  the  palace  occupied  by  himself,  and  Four^s 
was  hastening  towards  Paris  to  confer  with  the  Direc- 
tors at  the  Luxembourg,  and  return  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible to  his  companion. 

Unhappily  for  his  peace  of  mind  the  ship  upon  which 
he  sailed  was  captured  by  an  English  cruiser,  and  when 
his  story  was  told  to  the  English  Admiral,  that  shrewd 
dignitary  discerned  the  farce  Bonaparte  had  played  and 
giving  the  husband  some  sarcastic  advice,  he  set  him  at 
liberty  and  saw  that  he  was  taken  back  to  Egypt.  Foures 
re-entered  Cairo  wild  with  anger  and  jealousy;  he  would 
not  appeal  to  his  general,  but  he  would  go  before  a 
magistrate  and  demand  a  divorce  from  the  frivolous 
wife.  It  was  granted  him  promptly,  and  Madame  Foures 
resumed  her  maiden  name,  Pauline  Bellisle,  which  later 
became  corrupted  into  Bellilote.  Bonaparte  seriously 
loved  her  and  she  accompanied  him  on  horseback  in  the 
hunts  and  other  pleasure  excursions  he  made  into  the 
country;  she  rode  with  him  at  the  reviews  and  appeared 
at  his  side  at  the  fetes;  it  was  rumored  he  intended  to 
marry  her  and  divorce  Josephine,  and  he  agreed  to  do 
so  if  she  had  a  child.  But  to  her  great  misfortune  she 
was  no  more  successful  in  this  direction  than  had  been 
Josephine.  Madame  Foures  started  for  France  after 
the  departure  of  Bonaparte,  but  the  vessel  upon  which 
she  went  was  also  captured  by  the  English,  and  when 
she  was  set  at  liberty  with  Junot  and  several  other  offi- 
cers and  savants,  who  were  taken  with  her,  the  reconcil- 
iation between  Josephine  and  Bonaparte  had  been  com- 
plete and  the  18  Brumaire  had  been  accomplished.  The 
First  Consul  thought  it  best  not  to  introduce  Bellilote 
into  the  palace,  but  he  purchased  and  presented  to  her 
a  magnificent  chateau,  settled  a  sum  upon  her  that 
made  her  independently  wealthy  and  married  her  to 
one  of  the  gentlemen  of  his  court,  who  received  as  a 
wedding  present  a  commission  as  Consul  of  the  French 
Government. 


But  the  young  lady  could  not  resist  the  temptation 
for  adventure,  so  she  left  her  second  husband  and  ran 
away  with  a  lover,  named  Bellard,  to  Brazil.  She  re- 
turned to  Paris  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration,  and  with 
the  natural  ingratitude  of  those  who  had  profited  by 
Napoleon's  generosity,  she  became  a  fervent  and  aggres- 
sive royalist. 

Bonaparte  had  very  little  taste  for  artistic  pleasures; 
he  cared  nothing  for  painting,  his  literary  favorites  were 
those  that  dealt  with  tragedy  of  the  most  pompous 
tone;  great  sentiments  and  majestic  people  or  terrible 
events  were  the  only  things  that  appealed  to  his  mind. 
Music,  that  is  heavy,  religious  music,  exercised  a  pro- 
found influence  upon  him.  Personally  he  had  no  talent 
in  this  direction;  he  was  incapable  of  distinguishing  a 
false  from  a  true  note,  paid  little  attention  to  symphony, 
but  was  peculiarly  moved  by  the  sound  of  a  good  voice. 
He  was  affected  to  tears  when  the  soprano  Crescentini 
sang,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  during  his  tour  in  Italy  in 
bestowing  upon  each  musical  eunuch  the  Order  of  the 
Iron  Crown.  The  passion  he  conceived  for  Grassini,  the 
celebrated  singer,  was  as  much  influenced  by  admira- 
tion for  her  voice  as  for  her  personal  beauty.  He  met 
her  in  Milan;  he  admired  her  and  he  visited  her.  He 
invited  her  to  Paris;  she  accepted  the  invitation  and 
located  in  a  little  house  on  the  Rue  Chantereine,  and 
quickly  became  wearied.  A  violinist,  named  Rode, 
offered  his  attentions  and  she  accepted  them.  Bonaparte, 
informed  of  this  by  Fouche,  ceased  visiting  her  but 
notwithstanding  when  she  later  became  a  favorite  in 
London  and  at  The  Hague,  she  would  pass  through 
Paris  and  the  Emperor  would  call  upon  her  each  night, 
invariably  leaving  a  handsome  souvenir  of  his  visit. 
Grassini  was  touched  with  the  traditional  ingratitude 
that  in  this  case  might  almost  be  interpreted  into  treason. 
Not  only  did  she  sing  at  the  home  of  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, but,  while  her  imperial  lover  languished  at 


- 362     

Saint  Helena,  she  became  the  favorite  of  the  victor  of 
Waterloo. 

Five  or  six  women,  actresses,  singers,  tragediennes 
served  as  the  ephemeral  companions  of  the  Emperor. 
We  can  recall  Madamoiselle  Branchu  of  the  Opera,  who 
was  an  admirable  lyric  tragedienne;  Madamoiselle 
Bourgoins  who  had  the  cruelty  to  declare  one  night  in 
Napoleon's  room  while  he  was  talking  with  Chaptal, 
that  she  filled  the  proud  position  of  his  mistress; 
Madamoiselle  George,  the  superb  and  imposing  queen 
of  the  theatre,  she  remained  faithful  to  the  memory  of 
the  fallen  Emperor,  and  her  fidelity  to  the  great  man 
who  loved  her  was  the  means  of  her  exclusion  from  the 
Theatre-Francais,  done  at  the  instigation  of  some  noble 
gentlemen  of  the  Chamber  and  of  the  captains  of  the 
King's  Guard  who  were  entrusted  with  the  adminstra- 
tion  of  this  place  of  amusement  ! 

Napoleon,  always  busy,  always  working  sought  love 
at  his  door.  He  loved  pleasure  that  came  to  him  with- 
out vast  labor,  and  so  it  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  vast 
number  of  ladies  of  the  palace,  wives  of  the  chamber- 
lains and  of  the  officers,  companions  of  the  Empress, 
who  passed  in  at  the  little  apartments  in  the  Tuileries 
to  which  Constant  held  the  keys.  The  apprehension  of 
a  favorite,  such  as  Montespan,  Maintenon,  Pompadour 
or  Du  Barry  of  the  Old  Monarchy  did  not  deter  him 
from  establishing  relations  with  the  famous  adventuress 
Madame  de  Vaudey. 

This  intriguing  lady  and  marvellous  coquette  was  the 
daughter  of  a  military  celebrity,  Richaud  d'Arcon,  who 
had  captured  Breda  and  drawn  up  the  plans  for  the 
campaign  in  Holland.  The  daughter  married  Captain 
de  Vaudey  and  was  made  a  lady  of  the  palace  in  1804 
accompanying  the  Empress  to  Aix-la-Chapelle.  It  was 
in  the  course  of  this  trip  where  Napoleon  had  joined 
Josephine  that  the  acquaintance  was  made  between 
them.  One  day  shortly  after  their  intimacy  had  com- 


menced  Madame  de  Vaudey  pretended  to  commit 
suicide  in  order  to  procure  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
she  required  from  the  Emperor.  She  wrote  Napoleon 
of  her  needs  and  her  approach  to  death  and  the  Emperor 
promptly  responded  with  the  sum  requested,  but  un- 
happily for  her  the  aide  whom  he  sent  with  the  money 
found  Madamq  de  Vaudey  at  her  house  in  Auteuil  pre- 
siding over  a  joyous  supper  that  was  spread  out  with 
all  the  extravagance  of  an  aristocrat.  This  female,  by 
the  way,  calumniated  the  memory  of  Napoleon  in  the 
ridiculous  memoirs  she  wrote  and  which  were  published 
by  Ladvocate,  and  she  offered  her  services  to  Prince 
Polignac  when  the  attempt  was  made  to  assassinate  the 
Emperor. 

Amid  the  lesser  loves  Madamoiselle  Lacoste  was 
noticeable,  a  little  blonde  who  was  not  admitted  to  the 
salon  of  the  Empress  but  who  occupied  her  time  in 
the  ante-chamber.  Her  name  was  Felicite,  she  was 
a  daughter  of  one  of  the  Emperor's  collectors,  who 
also  enjoyed  the  added  function  of  opening  the  doors 
when  their  majesties  approached.  There  was  also 
Madame  Gazzani,  reader,  who  was  recommended  by  M. 
de  Remusat,  and  she  -was  quickly  succeeded  by  Made- 
moiselle Gutllebeau.  This  lady  lost  her  position  by  an 
unfortunate  accident,  through  a  letter  from  her  mother 
in  which  that  estimable  lady  gave  her  daughter  a  variety 
of  politic  but  too  practical  advice.  The  letter  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Napoleon  and  Mademoiselle  Guillebeau 
was  forthwith  deposed. 

Finally  there  came  upon  the  scene  the  true  mistress 
of  the  Emperor  whom  he  loved  profoundly  and  who,  on 
her  part,  remained  faithful  to  him  until  his  exile,  Com- 
tesse  Walewski,  the  beautiful  Pole. 

During  the  seige  of  Danzig  and  while  the  Emperor 
was  on  his  way  to  Varsova  and  waiting  a  relay  of 
horses,  he  received  a  deputation  of  local  nobles. 
During  the  reception  he  was  presented  with  a  beautiful 


bouquet,  and  the  lady  who  made  the  presentation  was 
very  young,  almost  a  child,  a  blonde  with  a  fresh  color, 
charming  in  her  manners  and  possessing  large,  frank, 
blue  eyes.  She  was  embarrassed  in  the  presence  of  the 
Emperor  and  her  emotion  added  to  her  attraction.  The 
Emperor  endeavored  to  reassure  her  by  a  few  words; 
he  thanked  her  for  the  compliment  extended  to  him, 
and  taking  the  bouquet  expressed  the  hope  of  another 
early  visit  to  Varsova. 

This  young  woman,  by  name  Marie  Lazinska,  was 
married  to  Comte  Anastase  Colonna  de  Walewski.  The 
comte  was  seventy  years  of  age,  the  comtesse  nineteen. 
In  order  to  marry  him,  the  wife  had  refused  an  attrac- 
tive young  man  bearing  a  respected  name,  very  rich 
and  very  influential,  but  this  young  man  was  named 
Orloff,  he  was  a  Russian  and  belonged  to  a  family  that 
had  oppressed  and  terrorized  Poland.  The  old  Comte 
Walewski,  on  the  contrary,  was  a  worthy  patriot  and 
Marie  carried  in  her  bosom  the  soul  of  a  genuine 
heroine.  Love  of  country  dominated  everything  else; 
she  gave  her  hand  to  the  old  noble  as  she  would  have 
given  a  son  to  the  deliverance  of  Poland.  The  young 
comtesse  watched  with  enthusiasm  the  triumphant 
march  of  Napoleon.  Would  not  he  inflict  upon  the 
Russians  the  most  terrible  punishment  ?  At  Austerlitz 
she  trembled  with  joy;  the  campaign  of  1807  filled  her 
with  exultation.  She  already  saw  Napoleon  the  con- 
queror slaughtering  the  oppressive  Moscovites  and  re- 
toring  Poland  to  its  patriots.  On  her  part  admiration 
for  the  Emperor  had  taken  a  place  that  upon  the  first 
occasion  gave  way  to  another  sentiment,  sweeter  and 
more  subtle. 

The  friends  of  Comte  Walewski,  patriots  like  himself, 
hoping  to  achieve  the  independence  of  Poland  through 
the  genius  of  Napoleon,  with  one  accord  did  all  in  their 
power  to  throw  the  beautiful  comtesse  into  the  arms  of 
the  Emperor.  The  attentions  that  Napoleon  had  shown 


365     ' 

the  comtesse  at  a  ball  given  in  his  honor  had  not 
escaped  them,  the  absent-mindedness,  the  distractions 
of  Napoleon  during  a  dinner  where  she  was  present 


strengthened  their  feeling  that  the  sentiment  aroused 
could  be  used  in  furthering  the  good  cause.  Duroc 
aided  them;  he  declared  the  Emperor  was  deeply  im- 
pressed and  insinuated  that  the  comtesse  could  use  her 


366     

influence  over  him  for  the  good  of  her  country.  All  the 
world  conspired  against  her  virtue.  The  love  of  Napo; 
Icon  already  aroused  found  further  encouragement  in  the 
words  of  those  about  him;  the  Polish  nobles  reminded 
the  comtesse  of  the  history  of  Esther  who  employed 
her  beauty  to  conquer  Ahasuerus  and  deliver  the  people 
of  Israel.  They  urged,  they  entreated,  they  beseeched, 
the  eyes  of  the  nation  were  upon  the  Imperial  bed  and 
the  comtesse  finally  consented  to  a  dishonor  that  would 
bring  glory  upon  her  country. 

Napoleon  wrote  tender  notes,  impassioned  declara- 
tions, sent  beautiful  presents;  the  comtesse  refused  the 
gifts,  made  no  response  to  the  written  words.  Finally 
the  schemers  obtained  her  consent  to  an  interview  with 
the  Emperor ;  she  approached  him  as  a  suppliant  to 
right  the  wrongs  of  her  people;  Duroc  introduced  her 
into  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  palace,  she  concealed  her 
eyes  with  her  hands  and  sank  upon  the  fauteuil. 

Napoleon  covered  her  hands  with  kisses  ;  she  shed 
tears;  she  was  silent.  Napoleon  had  the  tact  not  to 
startle  her  by  any  brusque  or  careless  words,  and  she 
returned  to  her  home  as  she  left  it.  The  respectful 
attitude  of  the  Emperor  had  reassured  her,  and  when  a 
second  audience  was  arranged  for  another  day  she  went 
to  it  more  readily.  Between  two  outbursts  of  affec- 
tion, between  two  kisses,  she  found  an  opportunity 
to  speak  for  her  country  to  the  impassioned  Emperor 
who  at  that  moment  had  no  thought  aside  from  amor- 
ous phrases. 

It  is  not  claimed  that  Marie  Walewski  loved  Napoleon 
when  she  became  his  mistress;  but  the  attachment  was 
strong  and  when  she  had  given  him  a  son,  who  as 
Comte  Walewski  was  President  of  the  Corps  Legislatif 
under  the  Second  Empire,  her  love  burst  into  a  veritable 
passion.  On  his  part,  Napoleon  was  sincere  in  his  affec- 
tion, and  he  ceased  his  indiscriminate  relations  until 
after  his  marriage  with  Marie  Louise.  The  comtesse 


—   367 

visited  the  Emperor  at  Elba,  and  during  the  Hundred 
Days  she  did  not  leave  his  side. 

News  of  the  birth  of  the  child  to  Eleonore,  brought 
by  Marchioness  Lefebvre,  had  turned  the  thoughts  of 
the  Emperor  away  from  the  beautiful  Pole.  Why  should 
he  not  adopt  this  child  ? 

And  if  he  decided  not  to  adopt  it,  why  should  he  not 
look  to  some  of  the  reigning  families  for  a  princess  Who 
would  marry  him  and  would  give  him  a  son  that  might 
have  a  king  for  grandfather;  a  king  of  such  position 
as  none  thereafter  would  dare  to  contest  the  right  to 
the  inheritance  of  the  Empire  ? 

For  the  first  time  this  revelation  that  he  might  have  a 
son  brought  to  the  thoughts  of  Napoleon  the  realiza- 
tion of  Josephine's  age,  and  rapidly  there  ran  through 
his  mind  the  list  of  young  and  agreeable  princesses  in 
the  courts  of  Europe  one  of  whom  he  could  make 
Empress. 

His  meditations  were  interrupted  by  Rapp,  with  in- 
formation that  the  army  was  ready  to  move  and  that 
Marshal  Lefebvre  had  given  his  orders  for  the  formal 
entrance  into  the  city  of  Danzig. 


XLIX. 

THE   DUKE. 

ON  the  26th  of  May,  1807,  Marshal  Lefebvre  made 
his  triumphal  entry  into  the  city  of  Danzig. 

He  invited  his  two  colleagues  Marshal  Lannes  and 
Marshal  Mortier  to  ride  on  either  side  of  him  passing 
down  in  review  between  the  two  ranks  of  troops  and 
be  with  him  in  receiving  the  salute  and  the  sword  of 
Marshal  Kalkreuth  when  he  defiled  out  with  the  con- 
quered garrison.  Lannes  and  Mortier  declined,  Lefebvre 
alone  was  entitled  to  the  honors  of  the  triumph,  having 


368    

taken  upon  himself  the  responsibility  and  the  dangers 
of  this  memorable  siege. 

Each  regiment  that  had  participated  in  the  capture 
of  the  city  contributed  a  detachment  to  the  guard  of 
honor,  and  they  entered  with  drums  sounding  and  flags 
waving  in  the  train  of  their  glorious  chief.  The  en- 
gineers were  at  the  head,  and  out  of  six  hundred  men 
composing  this  select  battalion  the  greater  number 
had  fallen  in  the  trenches.  The  Emperor  recognized 
the  value  of  these  experts  and  the  order  of  the  day 
before  the  entrance  into  the  city  was  read  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  entire  army: 

"  Danzig  has  capitulated  and  our  troops  will  enter 
there  to-day  at  noon.  His  Majesty  expresses  his  satis- 
faction to  the  besieging  forces.  The  engineers  have 
covered  themselves  with  glory." 

The  siege  lasted  fifty-one  days.  The  formidable 
defences  of  the  place,  the  force  that  was  numerically  as 
great  within  the  city  as  that  posted  without  the  walls, 
the  insufficiency  of  artillery  on  the  part  of  the  besiegers, 
the  severe  climate,  the  snow,  the  rain,  the  high  winds 
had  all  contributed  to  prolong  the  resistance.  The 
garrison  suffered  severely.  Out  of  18,320  men,  7,120 
only  left  the  city  alive. 

The  moral  effect  of  the  fall  of  Danzig  was  consider- 
able. The  material  result  was  also  very  great;  Napo- 
leon found  in  the  city  immense  quantities  of  military 
stores,  grain  and  wines,  all  of  which  was  sent  to  the 
cantonments  of  Passarge.  The  precious  liquor  in 
this  chilling  climate  came  to  the  army  like  a  veritable 
revivifying  cordial,  an  elixir  of  good  health  and  good 
humor. 

Two  days  after  the  entrance  of  Lefebvre,  the  Em- 
peror visited  the  trenches  and  inspected  the  works  and 
detailed  the  Forty-fourth  and  Forty-fifth  regiments 
of  the  line  to  garrison  the  deserted  fortifications  and 
occupy  the  city.  Following  this  he  invited  all  the  com- 


369 

manders  to  a  grand  banquet  at  which  Lefebvre  sat  upon 
his  right. 

Before  the  repast,  while  the  generals  and  Marshals 
Lefebvre,  Lannes  and  Mortier  awaited  the  entrance  of 
the  Emperor,  the  Grand  Marshal  Duroc  appeared,  car- 
rying a  sword  with  a  richly  chiseled  hilt,  sparkling  with 
diamonds.  Immediately  behind  Duroc  an  officer  bore 
a  crimson  velvet  cushion  upon  which  rested  a  gold 
crown.  Duroc  holding  the  sword  and  the  officer  with 
the  cushion  took  their  places  at  either  side  the  throne 
that  was  reserved  for  Napoleon. 

A  moment  later  the  doors  were  thrown  back  and  the 
Emperor  appeared  wearing  the  ordinary  uniform  of  a 
colonel  of  the  Chasseurs,  and  with  a  glance  that  was 
half  quizzical  and  half  amused  looked  at  the  sword  and 
the  crown. 

Napoleon  turned  before  the  throne  and  throwing  his 
eyes  over  the  brilliant  company  gathered  there,  he  said 
in  a  loud  voice  to  Duroc: 

"Will  you  request  our  dear  and  well  beloved  Lefebvre 
to  approach  !  " 

Duroc  made  a  military  salute  and  stepping  to  the 
side  of  Lefebvre,  escorted  him  before  the  Emperor. 

Mechanically  the  Marshal  put  forth  his  hand,  believ- 
ing the  Emperor  intended  to  confer  the  tribute  of  a 
public  congratulation  on  the  capture  of  Danzig  and  the 
further  honor  of  a  fraternal  embrace. 

But  Napoleon  continued: 

"Grand  Marshal,  will  you  request  the  Duke  of  Danzig 
to  bend  his  knee  to  receive  his  investiture." 

Lefebvre,  at  the  utterance  of  this  unknown  and  singu- 
lar title,  changed  his  position  as  though  to  make  way  for 
some  foreign  dignitary,  some  Prussian  or  Russian  per- 
haps, for  there  was  no  such  title  and  no  such  duchy 
among  the  French.  But  Duroc  approached  again  and 
whispered  in  the  Marshal's  ear: 

"  Kneel ! " 


37° 


Lefebvre  sank  to  the  ground  beneath  the  pressure  of 
Duroc's  hand,  and  the  Emperor  taking  the  crown  from 
its  cushion  placed  it  upon  the  Marshal's  head. 

Stupefied,  speechless,  Lefebvre  failed  to  fully  under- 
stand the  real  meaning  of  this  beautiful  ceremony  of 
which  he  was  the  central  figure.  Napoleon,  taking  the 
sword,  gave  three  light  taps  upon  the  shoulder  of  Le- 
febvre, saying  with  great  gravity: 

"In  the  name  of  the  Emperor,  by   the  grace   of    God 
and  in  virtue  of  the   national 
will,    Lefebvre,    I    make    you 
this  day  Duke  of  Danzig,  for 
you  to  have  and  to  enjoy  the 
advantages  and  privileges  we 
have  attached  to  that  dig- 
nity." 

And  then  in  his 
natural  voice: 

"Arise,  Duke  of 
Danzig,  and  em- 
brace your  Em- 
peror." 

Immediately  the 
drum  corps,  sta- 
tic ne  d  beneath 
the  windows,  beat 
the  long  roll,  and 
the  marshals  and 

generals  and  officers  crowded   around   the    newly  cre- 
ated noble,  offering  their  felicitations. 

It  was  a  politic  act  of  enormous  importance,  this  ele- 
vation of  a  common  soldier  to  one  of  the  titles  abolished 
by  the  revolution,  made  odious  to  the  nation,  forgotten 
after  being  ridiculed. 

Napoleon  wished  to  strengthen  his  throne  and  his 
dynasty  by  the  aid  of  a  new  aristocracy;  he  had  endeav- 
ored by  a  thousand  seductions,  by  advantageous  mar- 


riages,  by  employments,  by  appointments  to  attract  to 
his  court  the  representatives  of  the  former  aristocracy. 
Now  he  had  resolved  to  create  a  nobility  of  his  own.  He 
wished  to  organize  a  new  society  having  its  degrees,  its 
ranks,  its  hierarchies,  in  a  superb  pyramid  at  the  sum- 
mit of  which,  isolated  by  his  grandeur,  he,  the  Emperor, 
would  stand. 

In  the  rank  beneath  him  would  be  his  brothers  made 
by  him  kings,  Louis  having  Holland,  Joseph  having 
Spain,  Jerome  having  Westphalia. 

A  little  below  this  rank,  his  brother-in-law  Murat,  King 
of  Naples,  Eugene,  Viceroy  of  Italy. 

Then  the  Princes,  the  great  heroes  of  the  battles,  Ney, 
Berthier;  the  Dukes,  Lefebvre,  Augerau,  Lannes,  Vic- 
tor, Soult.  The  comtes  and  barons,  financiers  and  dip- 
lomats, finally  the  plain  cavaliers,  legions  that  he  had 
instituted. 

The  new  Duke,  who  with  the  sword  and  crown,  re- 
ceived 100,000  francs,  said  to  Duroc: 

"My  wife  will  certainly  be  content!  Catharine  a 
Duchess  !  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Duroc  ?" 

And  as  he  laughed  at  the  thought,  he  caught  sight  of 
a  young  officer,  attached  to  the  suite  of  Marshal  Lannes, 
who  was  also  laughing,  but  in  a  satirical  manner,  and 
who  was  distinguished  solely  for  the  reason  that  he  was 
heir  to  a  noble  family. 

Lefebvre  stepped  towards  him  and  said: 

"  You  laugh  at  me,  monsieur,  because  I  have  a  title 
I  myself  won,  while  with  you  it  has  been  the  acci- 
dent of  birth  that  you  chance  to  be  a  comte.  Laugh, 
monsieur,  in  your  vanity  and  boast  of  your  descent. 
Each  to  his  business  ;  you  are  a  descendant,  I  am  an 
ancestor." 

Then,  turning  abruptly  from  the  officer,  Lefebvre  said 
to  Duroc: 

"  My  dear  Marshal,  when  will  the  Emperor  give  the, 
signal  for  the  banquet  ?  " 


372     

"  Are  you  hungry,  Lefebvre  ? " 

"  No  !  But  the  sooner  he  gives  the  signal,  the  sooner 
we  shall  be  free.  And  I  have  an  uncontrollable  desire 
to  be  the  first  to  embrace  and  congratulate  Madame,  the 
Duchess  of  Danzig." 

L. 

WITH    THE    EMPRESS. 

THEY  awaited  the  Emperor  ! 

Victorious,  master  of  Europe,  having  forced  his 
friendship  on  Russia  and  his  will  on  Prussia,  Napoleon 
was  approaching  for  a  triumphal  entry  into  Paris. 

By  his  orders  Josephine  had  given  a  series  of  brilliant 
receptions,  attended  by  the  great  personages  of  France, 
the  diplomatic  corps,  the  representatives  of  the  various 
Kings.  A  soiree  had  been  especially  arranged  at  the 
Tuileries  in  honor  of  the  new  Duchess  of  Danzig.  All 
the  grand  world,  active  and  filled  with  intrigue,  occupied 
itself  with  this  reception;  sarcastic  faggots  from  the  ex- 
tinguished fire  of  an  old  aristocracy  asked  ironically 
how  the  duchess  would  maintain  her  rank.  Evil  tongues 
moved  freely  and  recalled  with  savage  pleasure  the 
washerwoman  days  of  the  present  duchess. 

Many  of  the  gossiping  women  were  sprung  from  an 
origin  quite  as  humble  and  had  been  the  heroines  of 
questionable  adventures,  and  the  subjects  of  crying 
scandals. 

Catharine  possessed  a  reputation  that  had  never  been 
questioned.  She  was  ridiculed  because  of  her  principles 
and  the  love  she  felt  for  her  husband.  Washerwoman, 
cantiniere,  wife  of  the  general,  of  a  great  officer  of  the 
Empire,  Madame  Marchioness,  she  had,  during  her  entire 
life,  this  daughter  of  the  people  who  had  become  a 
crowned  grande  dame,  but  one  lover — her  husband,  her 
Lefebvre. 


373     

On  his  part,  he  had  preserved  a  fidelity  that  was 
wonderfully  rare  among  the  warriors  of  the  Empire.  He 
had  resisted  the  temptations  that  misled  his  Emperor, 
his  master,  his  god;  he  truthfully  said:  "That  is  the 
only  path  where  I  cannot  follow  the  Emperor,"  and  in 
answer  to  his  jocular  companions  who  did  not  hesitate 
to  belittle  his  constancy  he  would  say: 

"  If  I  deceived  Catharine,  don't  you  see,  how  would  it 
be  possible  for  me  to  beat  the  Prussians  !  I  think  con- 
stantly of  her,  then  I  should  feel  remorse,  now  it  gives 
me  a  strong  heart  and  an  easy  conscience  to  go  into 
battle." 

Brave  Lefebvre  never  blushed  for  his  conjugal  virtue. 
He  was,  he  never  hesitated  to  say,  in  favor  of  probity, 
fidelity  and  patriotism.  This  untutored  Achilles,  coming 
from  the  ranks  of  the  people,  remained  simple,  republi- 
can, declined  to  be  associated  with  Barras  and  Carnot 
in  the  Directory  because  he  was  not  sufficiently  educated, 
declared  there  were  but  three  objects  influencing  his  life 
his  wife,  his  country,  his  Emperor. 

The  Empress's  reception  was  at  its  height  when  the 
Duchess  made  her  appearance,  but  Caroline  and  Elisa, 
Napoleon's  sisters,  had  already  entered  the  room  and 
had  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  in  their  insolence  and 
their  insulting  quarrels.  Caroline  was  Queen  of 
Naples,  Elisa,  the  demoiselle  of  Saint-Cyr,  possessed  the 
principality  of  Piombino,  and  there  was  a  constant 
rivalry  of  crimination  and  a  battle  of  epigrams  between 
the  two  sisters. 

In  the  brilliant  circle  where  Josephine  was  the  centre 
Junot  filled  an  important  and  conspicuous  position. 
Now  Governor  of  Paris,  this  former  sergeant  whom  Na- 
poleon had  made  aide-de-camp  and  general  of  division, 
was  assiduous  in  his  attentions  to  the  Queen  of  Naples. 

Their  love  was  open  and  scandalous.  Junot's  carriage 
waited  constantly  before  the  palace  of  Caroline.  Murat, 
occupied  with  his  battles  suspected  nothing,  and  Junot, 


- —     374 

one  of  the  most  accomplished  duellists  of  the  day,  was 
quite  prepared  to  make  Caroline  a  widow  and  share  her 
throne.  One  fear  alone  controlled  him,  the  coming  of 
the  Emperor.  In  the  absence  of  Napoleon  his  entire 
Court  was  corrupt,  abandoned,  knew  no  restraint,  no 
law.  The  rumor  of  his  return  compelled  behavior  on  the 
part  of  those  who  were  dependent  upon  his  will,  his  glory 
and  his  disposition  to  maintain  them  in  their  positions. 
Alone,  the  two  abominable  scolds  Napoleon  was  suf- 
ficiently unfortunate  to  have  as  sisters,  dared  to  brave  the 
anger  of  the  great  conqueror.  Pauline  Borghese  was 
so  free  in  her  conduct  as  to  be  quite  outside  any  oppor- 
tunity for  excuse  or  concealment. 

Napoleon  had  the  unfortunate  weakness  of  adoring  his 
family,  those  remarkable  creatures  whose  sole  value  con- 
sisted in  the  favors  showered  upon  them  by  their  brother. 
In  the  affair  of  Junot,  the  Emperor  learned  of  it  upon  his 
return  and  he  reproached  his  old  friend,  Sergeant  Junot, 
bitterly,  reduced  him  from  his  post  as  Governor  of  Paris 
and  exiled  him  to  Portugal  with  the  grade,  of  ambassa- 
dor and  the  title  of  Duke  d'Abrantes. 

The  dynastic  folly  of  Napoleon  was  more  strongly 
displayed  in  his  family  and  among  his  marshals  than  in 
his  own  person. 

Wedded  to  the  Archduchess  of  Austria,  father  of  the 
King  of  Rome,  Napoleon  believed  he  could  dominate 
the  assembly  of  kings,  but  aMurat,  a  Junot,  a  Joseph  to 
follow,  as  ruler  of  France  and  of  the  world — what  folly! 
This  folly  served  the  purpose  of  the  traitors,  of  Talley- 
rand, Fouche,  Bernadotte,  Marmont  in  their  terrible 
treason  of  delivering  France  to  the  strangers,  thanks  to 
the  connivance  of  the  infamous  Marie  Louise  and  her 
good  friends  the  Cossacks  and  the  Prussians. 

At  the  hour  the  Marchioness  Lefebvre  repaired  to  the 
apartments  of  the  Empress  the  brave  Marshal  dined 
with  the  Emperor,  and  during  the  meal  Lefebvre  was 
singularly  embarrassed  several  times.  Upon  each  occa- 


• 375     

sion,  it  was  when  Napoleon  addressed  him  as  "  Duke," 
the  title  was  too  recent  to  be  readily  recognized  and 
too  exalted  for  him  to  grasp  with  the  facility  that  had 
attended  his  humbler  rank. 

Napoleon  always  delighted  in  pleasantry,  and  he 
found  much  satisfaction  in  tormenting  Lefebvre  ;  he 
knew  the  Marshal  to  be  honest  and  poor;  he  had  made 
him  a  Duke,  he  proposed  to  make  him  rich. 

During  the  dinner  Napoleon  said  suddenly: 

"  Do  you  like  chocolate,  Duke  ?  " 

"Yes,  sire,  I  like  chocolate  if  you  wish  it;  I  like 
everything  you  like." 

"  Good  !  I  am  going  to  give  you  a  sample  of  it;  it  is 
Danzig  chocolate.  It  is  only  proper  you  should  have 
a  taste  of  the  products  of  the  city  you  have  conquered." 

Lefebvre  bowed  and  maintained  silence.  He  could  not 
always  understand  the  subtle  jokes  of  the  Emperor,  and 
in  such  instances  he  took  refuge  in  a  polite  salute  and 
a  discreet  absence  of  reply. 

Napoleon  arose  and  took  from  a  table  near  by  a 
square  package  that  had  the  appearance  of  a  chocolate 
cake.  He  returned  to  his  seat  and,  handing  the  paper 
to  the  Duke,  he  said  : 

"  Duke  of  Danzig,  accept  this  chocolate !  It  is  a 
small  present  prompted  by  friendship." 

Lefebvre  took  the  package  without  evidence  of  any 
marked  interest  and  nonchalantly  dropped  it  into  his 
pocket. 

"  Sire,  I  thank  you,"  he  said.  "  I  shall  give  this 
chocolate  to  the  hospital ;  it  is  excellent,  they  say,  for 
the  sick  " 

"No,"  quickly  exclaimed  the  Emperor,  "do  nothing 
of  the  sort  !  Keep  it  for  yourself,  I  pray  you." 

And  Lefebvre  muttered  to  himself  : 

"  Quaint  idea  that  the  Emperor  should  give  me  choc- 
olate as  though  I  were  a  girl." 

A  pie  representing  the  city  of  Danzig  was  served  as 


376     

the  culminating  effort  of  the  chef,  and  Napoleon,  ex- 
tending a  knife  to  the  duke,  said  : 

"  We  will  give  this  pie  to  you;  it  is  your  conquest 
and  at  your  signal  it  shall  be  again  destroyed.  It  is  fit- 
ting that  you  should  do  the  honors  with  such  a  dish." 

Lefebvre  cut  into  the  pate  and  the  diners  speedily 
brought  about  its  annihilation.  The  dinner  was  con- 
cluded, and  Lefebvre  returned  to  his  quarters  charmed 
with  the  amiability  of  his  sovereign. 

"Too  bad  Catharine  is  not  here,"  he  said  to  him- 
self. "  Never  has  His  Majesty  been  in  better  humor. 
But  what  a  singular  present,  this  Danzig  chocolate." 

And  unconsciously  he  broke  the  paper  that  enwrapped 
the  sweets,  when  there  within,  in  place  of  the  expected 
delicacy,  the  duke  saw  carefully  folded  bank  bills  to  the 
amount  of  three  hundred  thousand  francs. 

It  was  a  present  that  permitted  the  new  Duke  to  main- 
tain his  rank. 

The  two  sisters  of  Napoleon  and  the  ladies  in  their 
train  missed  no  opportunity  to  insult  Catharine  upon 
her  humble  origin,  and  they  seized  this  reception  of  the 
Empress  as  a  fitting  occasion  to  humiliate  her. 

Catharine  Lefebvre  in  full  court  costume,  her  head 
bearing  a  dress  of  white  ostrich  feathers  rising  from  her 
artistically  arranged  hair,  a  regal  robe  the  work  of 
Leroy,  a  long  mantle  in  sky  blue  velvet  with  golden 
bees  and  the  ducal  crown  embroidered  in  the  corners, 
advanced  radiant  and  beautiful  into  the  salon. 

The  Sans-Gene  of  earlier  days  was  for  a  moment  em- 
barrassed. She  had  that  morning  rehearsed  with  Des- 
preaux  the  ceremony  of  presentation  as  became  her 
position  of  Duchess  with  the  right  to  stand  by  the  side 
of  Queen  and  Empress.  The  instruction  passed  through 
her  mind  as  she  held  her  train  and  stepped  into  the 
salon.  The  court  usher,  rouged,  powdered,  majestic, 
who  had  for  many  years  fulfilled  the  duties  of  his  office, 
announced  in  a  loud  voice  : 


377     

"  Madame,  the  Marchioness  Lefebvre." 
Catharine  looked  at  him  scathingly  and  said: 
"  Well,  you  don't  know  your  business,  you  fool!  " 
The  Empress  stepped  from  her  throne  and  advanced 
towards   the    marchioness.      Always    gracious,    always 
graceful,  the    Empress   was   never   more    elegant   than 
when  she  extended  her  hand  to  the  Duchess  and  said: 

"  How  do  I  find  you,  this  evening,  Madame  the 
Duchess  of  Danzig?" 

"As  solid  as  Pont  Neuf !  "  Catharine  responded  un- 
abashed, "and  I  hope  Your  Majesty  is  in  the  same  con- 
dition." And  then  turning  towards  the  usher  she  said: 
"  That's  a  lesson  for  you  on  titles,  old  man." 
Catharine  took  her  place  in  the  circle  of  ladies,  the 
centre  of  all  eyes  and  the  object  of  all  comment.  The 
Empress  talked  amiably  with  her  and  Catharine  with 
her  remarkable  adaptability  was  soon  completely  at 
ease,  but  as  she  caught  sight  of  the  sneering  smiles  in- 
cited by  Caroline  and  Elisa  and  evidently  intended  to 
disconcert  the  new  duchess,  Catharine  exclaimed, 
angrily  and  aloud: 

"  Why  are  they  all  after  me,  those  chippies  there  ? 
If  the  Emperor  were  only  here  it  would  give  me  real 
pleasure  to  see  him  put  an  end  to  their  insults." 

The  conversation  was  general  and  lively  but  the  poor 
Duchess  found  none,  aside  from  the  Empress,  who  ad- 
dressed their  remarks  to  her,  or  who  did  her  the  honor 
of  even  responding  to  her  questions.  Catharine  was  en- 
raged at  the  studied  attempt  to  belittle  her  presence  and 
while  considering  in  what  manner  she  should  repay 
the  infamy,  she  was  saluted  by  a  tall,  mysterious-look- 
ing man  who  said: 

"  You  do  not  remember  me,  Duchess  ? " 
"  No,  I  do  not,  I  suppose  I  have  seen  you  somewhere." 
"  Exactly,  we    are    old   friends.     Before    you  entered 
the  high  rank  you  now  occupy  I  had  the  honor  of  your 
acquaintance." 


378 


"  Oh,  you  mean  when  I  was  a  washerwoman  !  Well, 
I  never  forget  anybody  I  knew  at  that  time,  nor  does 
Lefebvre.  You  know  I  have  always  kept  among  my 
dresses  one  bf  the  costumes  I  used  to  wear  when  I  was 

a  working  woman, 
and  in  the  same 
way  Lefebvre  has 
still  the  uniform  he 
wore  as  sergeant 
in  the  French 
Guards." 

"Ah,  well,  Duch- 
ess," replied  the 
man  in  an  insinua- 
ting and  quiet 
voice,  "  the  time 
when  I  knew  you 
was  far  in  the  past; 
we  met  at  one  of 
the  popular  balls 
where  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  enjoy- 
ing your  society;  I 
was  your  guest,  al- 
most your  friend; 
a  fortune-teller,  if 
you  remember,  pre- 
dicted that  night 
that  you  would  be 
a  duchess  some 
day." 

"Yes,  I  remember  it  very  well;  it  was  a  great  night 

wasn't  it  ?    Lefebvre  and  I  often  speak  of  it.    And  didn't 

the  fortune-teller  tell  you  anything  that  has  come  true  ?  " 

"  He  did;  I  have  lived  up  to  my  horoscope,  and  as  for 

you,  certainly  you  have  realized  it." 

"  Yes,  truly,  and  what  did  he  predict  for  you  ? " 


379 

"  That  I  should  one  day  become  Minister  of  Police — 
and  I  am." 

"  You  are  M.  Fouche  ?  "  said  Catharine  a  trifle  uneasy 
at  the  thought  of  this  man,  who  with  true  feminine  in- 
stinct she  felt  to  be  a  traitor. 

"  At  your  service.  Duchess.  You  have  here  several 
rivals,  enemies,  permit  me  to  warn  you  of  perils  that  are 
threatening.  Do  not  give  to  these  ladies  the  pleasure  of 
profiting  by  some  of  your  imprudences  of  comment,  or 
your  lack  of  acquaintance  with  the  ceremonies  of  the 
court." 

"  You  are  very  straightforward,  M.  Fouche,  and  I 
accept  your  offer,"  Catharine  replied  with  considerable 
good  humor;  "you  have  warned  me  in  time;  you  know 
very  well  I  am  not  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their 
manners,  but  yet  I  am  not  ignorant  what  is  proper 
to  say  in  society;  my  fault  is  I  do  not  always  take 
the  conventionalities  into  account;  I  turn  my  tongue 
loose  and  it  goes  as  it  wishes.  I  understand  that 
you  in  the  quality  of  Minister  of  Police  can  be  very 
useful." 

"  There  are  some  things  I  can  do  and  others  that 
are  impossible,"  replied  Fouche,  modestly.  "But  if  you 
will  be  awake  to  the  hints  I  will  give  you,  I  think  you 
will  avoid  any  unpleasant  incidents  from  these  ladies 
who  are  disposed  to  criticise  you." 

"  M.  Fouche,  you  oblige  me  greatly,  I  am  so  uneasy 
amid  ceremonies  of  the  palace  that  I  never  leave  the 
door  without  wishing  I  were  back  in  my  canteen." 

"Very  well,  Duchess;  I  know  they  are  trying  to 
entrap  you  into  certain  expressions,  and  I  will  protect 
you  if  you  will  follow  me.  When  I  strike  twice  on  my 
snuff-box,  which  I  shall  hold  constantly  in  my  hand, 
you  will  be  good  enough  to  cease  saying  whatever  may 
be  your  conversation  at  the  moment.  See,  I  shall  give 
you  this  signal,"  and  Fouche  lightly  struck  the  enamelled 
snuff-box  twice  with  his  first  two  fingers. 


380     

"  It  is  understood,  M.  Fouche;  I  will  not  lose  sight  of 
you  nor  of  your  snuff-box." 

"My  snuff-box,  particularly." 

This  arrangement  made  the  Duchess  followed  in  the 
train  of  the  Empress  to  the  adjoining  banquet-hall. 


LI. 


CATHARINE  S    REVENGE. 

THE  sneering  smiles  and  the  caustic  comments  followed 
the  marchioness  to  the  supper-room.  The  Queen  of 
Naples  and  her  sister  Elisa  had  gathered  about  them 
their  cantankerous  female  friends,  all  resolved  to  make 
it  as  unpleasant  as  possible  for  the  duchess.  Caroline 
showed  beneath  her  fan  a  note  written  by  the  marchioness 
to  the  court  costumer,  Leroy,  which  she  had  purchased 
at  a  high  figure,  and  which  read  as  follows: 

"  Will  you,  M.  Leroy,  not  fail  to  send  me  to-morrow 
my  catin*  dress  " 

Elisa  had  given  directions  to  the  usher  that  when 
Catharine  came  accompanied  by  Marchioness  Lannes, 
as  had  been  announced,  he  was  to  give  her  the  title  of 
marchioness  instead  of  the  rightful  duchess.  Elisa  had 
possessed  herself  of  a  story  telling  of  a  curious  and 
interesting  incident  happening  in  Catharine's  household 
a  short  time  before  and  in  connection  with  the  theft  of 
a  valuable  diamond  belonging  to  the  marchioness.  The 
details  were  certainly  unfit  for  repetition,  but  Elisa,  feel- 
ing it  would  embarrass  Catharine  still  more,  approached 
the  Empress  and  laughingly  repeated  the  incident.  Cath- 
arine angered  beyond  control,  burst  forth  with  some 
characteristic  remark  when  her  eye  chanced  to  meet  that 
of  Fouche  who  was  tapping  vigorously  upon  his  snuff 
box. 

*  Catharine  intended  to  write  satin;  the  word  catin  is  equivalent  to 
demi-monde. 


38'     

"  The  devil !  he  wants  me  to  stop.  I  would  have  given 
this  hussy  a  dose,"  she  said,  "but  I  am  glad  Fouche  has 
interrupted  me."  Then  hesitating  a  moment  she  step- 
ped to  the  centre  of  the  circle  of  gossips  and  looking 
into  the  face  of  Caroline  and  Elisa  alternately  she  said 
with  an  intensity  of  irony  that  was  most  cutting: 

"  Your  Majesty,  and  you,  Madame  Princess,  you  do 
the  honor  of  telling  how  a  poor  woman,  such  as  myself, 
detected  a  thief,  a  professional  thief,  a  thief  who  stole 
trifles,  a  servant,  a  scrub,  who  was  neither  a  marshal 
nor  a  king  nor  the  relation  of  an  emperor.  In  truth,  I 
had  a  strong  disposition  to  let  this  diamond  thief  go 
when  I  considered  the  crowned  thieves  who  are  robbing 
the  Empire  and  who  are  despoiling  our  country." 

Catharine's  words  produced  the  most  astounding  ef- 
fect in  the  brilliant  following  of  the  Queen  of  Naples. 
Fouche  had  stepped  hastily  forward  and  was  frantically 
tapping  upon  his  box.  But  Catharine  cast  no  glance  in 
his  direction.  She  refused  to  stop  ;  she  continued  look- 
ing intently  at  the  affrighted  women  : 

"  Yes,  the  Emperor  is  too  good,  too  lenient.  He  does 
not  know  what  becomes  of  the  money  ;  he  is  satisfied 
with  the  income  of  a  captain,  but  all  those  whom  his 
favor  has  lifted  from  the  most  obscure  ranks  of  society 
devote  their  energies  to  pillage,  ravaging  and  robbing 
openly  from  the  people.  It  is  not  the  servants  who 
steal  jewelry  in  others'  apartments,  in  those  of  the  mar- 
shals or  those  of  the  sovereigns,  that  the  Emperor  will 
have  to  strip  to  find  evidences  of  their  crimes." 

Her  voice  trembled  with  anger;  strong  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  Lefebvre's  integrity,  the  honor  of  a  sol- 
dier, Catharine  Sans-Gene  scowled  in  the  faces  of  these 
insolent  females  whose  parvenu  husbands  were  robbing 
the  Empire  and  plotting  treason  against  the  Emperor. 

Caroline  of  Naples  was  audacious,  and  the  feeling  of 
a  Queen  increased  her  audacity  : 

"  Madame  Duchess,  perhaps  you  would  have  us  re- 


382     

turn  to  the  epoch  of  republican  virtue  ?    Oh,  those  were 
beautiful  times,  truly  !  " 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  insult  the  soldiers  of  the  Repub- 
lic !  "  Catharine  shouted,  pale  with  anger  ;  "  they  were 


all  heroes,  Lefebvre  with  them.  They  did  not  fight  as 
your  husbands,  as  your  lovers,  ladies,  do  now  to  acquire 
position  and  privileges  and  wealth,  to  despoil  the  prov- 
inces and  rob  the  public  treasury  !  The  soldiers  of  th$ 


Republic  fought  to  liberate  an  oppressed  people,  to  de- 
liver men  from  slavery,  to  glorify  France  and  establish 
its  liberty.  Those  who  came  after  them  perhaps 
fought  bravely,  but  the  profits  of  the  glory,  more  than 
the  glory  itself,  fell  to  them.  Our  Emperor  will  regret 
the  loss  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Republic.  When  he  looks 
about  him  for  the  friends  to  be  with  him  in  danger,  the 
men  to  support  him  in  trouble,  he  will  not  find  him  in  the 
husband  of  the  Queen  who  cannot  uphold  her  throne." 

Elisa,  angered  and  indignant,  said  to  Caroline: 

"  Let  us  go,  sister;  we  cannot  reply  in  suitable  lan- 
guage to  a  washerwoman  who  the  weakness  of  our 
brother  has  made  a  duchess  !  " 

The  two  Princesses  left  the  salon  after  a  brief  salute 
to  the  Empress,  who  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  the 
evident  anger  of  her  disagreeable  sisters-in-law.  Fouche 
shook  his  head  and  said  seriously  to  Catherine: 

"You  have  said  some  pretty  lively  things,  Duchess;  I 
have  been  giving  you  signals,  rapping  on  my  snuff-box, 
but  you  wouldn't  pay  any  attention,  nothing  could  stop 
you." 

"  Reassure  yourself,  M.  Fouche,  I  shall  tell  it  all  to  the 
Emperor,  and  when  he  knows  what  took  place  he  will 
endorse  what  I  have  said." 

Catharine  was  alive  to  the  sentiments  of  Napoleon  in 
regard  to  his  family  and  while  she  realized  the  devotion 
that  always  marked  his  feelings  toward  them,  she  knew 
that  before  and  beyond  even  such  regard  there  would 
always  prevail  his  love  for  the  army.  It  was  the  army 
that  Napoleon's  sisters  frequently  slurred  and  Catharine 
in  telling  M.  Fouche  she  should  repeat  this  incident  to 
the  Emperor,  relied  upon  playing  the  insult  to  the  army 
as  her  trump  card  in  the  complaint. 


384 


LII. 


THE    RUSSIAN    ALLIANCE. 

ON  the  22d  of  June,  1807,  France  was  victorious  over 
the  whole  of  Europe. 

Lefebvre  had  taken  Danzig.  On  the  i4th  of  June 
Napoleon  had  defeated  the  Russian  army  at  Friedland, 
and  Soult  had  been  successful  at  Koemgsberg.  The  i4th 
of  June  was  a  glorious  anniversary  and  Napoleon,  ever 
superstitious,  entered  the  battle  with  confidence,  for  it 
was  the  date  of  Marengo. 

The  Russian  army,  commanded  by  General  Benning- 
sen,  advanced  on  the  city  of  Friedland.  The  river  Alle 
wound  around  the  city  and  was  crossed  by  a  multitude 
of  bridges.  Marshal  Lannes,  with  ten  thousand  men, 
embracing  the  Grenadiers  and  volunteers  of  Oudinot, 
with  the  dragoons  and  hussars  under  the  orders  of 
Grouchy,  held  the  road  against  the  Russian  advance. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  first  shot  was 
fired. 

The  action  at  once  became  decisive.  It  was  a  bold 
effort  and  was  made  with  all  the  forces  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  had  at  his  command.  Alexander  had  given  his 
assurance  to  Frederick  William  he  would  fight  a  decisive 
battle  for  the  salvation  of  Prussia. 

Lannes,  with  a  greatly  inferior  force,  was  in  peril 
when  Mortier  came  to  his  relief  with  Dupas's  division. 
Marshal  Mortier  had  his  horse  shot  under  him  by  a 
cannon  ball,  his  own  unhappy  death  was  not  to  be  met 
on  the  field  of  battle  but  at  the  hand  of  a  murderer  a 
few  years  later  on  the  Boulevard  du  Temple,  during  a 
review  of  the  National  Guard  when  an  explosive  was 
thrown  by  Fiechi  and  directed  against  Louis  Philippe. 

The  stand  made  by  Lannes  gave  an  opportunity  for 
Napoleon  to  come  to  his  aid.  The  Emperor  galloped 


up  radiant,  confident,  far  in  advance  of  his  staff  eager, 
impatient  to  take  part  in  the  action  and  to  command  in 
person  at  the  victory.  Oudinot,  covered  with  blood, 
his  uniform  torn  and  soiled,  cried  after  Napoleon. 

"  Let  me  have  my  Grenadiers,  sire;  give  me  reinforce- 
ments and  I  will  drive  the  Russians  into  the  river." 

Napoleon  made  a  sign  with  his  hand  and  checking  his 
horse  swept  his  glass  over  the  field.  The  day  was  well 
advanced,  Lannes,  Mortier,  Ney,  who  were  called  to- 
gether, counselled  a  suspension  of  the  battle  until  the 
next  day;  they  wished  time  to  reorganize  the  army. 

"  No,"  declared  the  Emperor,  "  we  shall  continue  what 
we  have  begun  so  well.  Twice  the  enemy  have  made 
mistakes." 

With  a  perception  and  a  promptness  that  were  mar- 
vellous the  Emperor  decided  to  occupy  the  city  of  Fried- 
land,  that  formed  the  head  of  the  curve  in  the  Alle  river. 
To  make  this  audacious  dash  Napoleon  required  a 
leader  who  would  fearlessly  assail  the  strongly  defended 
bridges  leading  into  the  city.  He  looked  about  him 
for  an  instant  and  grasping  the  arm  of  Ney  he  said 
quickly  pointing  towards  Friedland: 

"  There  is  where  I  want  you  to  go,  march  directly 
ahead;  pay  no  attention  to  what  happens  behind  you  or 
on  either  side  of  you.  Force  your  way  through  that 
mass  of  men  and  cannon,  clear  the  bridge,  get  into 
Friedland  somehow,  anyhow.  Don't  have  any  thought 
of  what  is  taking  place  in  any  direction  except  in  front 
of  you.  I  shall  be  behind  you  and  on  each  side  of  you, 
I  and  the  army.  Go,  Marshal,  and  give  to  Marengo  an 
immortal  anniversary." 

Ney  dashed  off  with  wild  enthusiasm  and  as  Napoleon 
watched  him  plunge  down  the  road,  he  turned  to  Mortier 
and  said: 

"  Ney  is  not  a  man,  he  is  a  lion  !  " 

These  were  the  heroes  destined  to  perish  under  the 
bullets  of  the  restoration,  marching  towards  the  bridges 


386     

defended  by  a  great  force  of  sturdy  Russians.  The 
Emperor  summoned  his  generals  and  with  phenomenal 
coolness  changed  their  instructions  and  reconstructed 
his  plan  of  battle.  Ney  was  at  the  right,  Victor  was 
stationed  between  Ney  and  Lannes,  Mortier  a  trifle  in 
the  rear  with  the  divisions  of  brave  Poles  commanded 
by  Dombrowski  and  the  dragoons  of  Latour-Maubourg. 
The  French  army  thus  was  drawn  into  an  imposing 
mass  of  24,000  men. 

The  firing  had  almost  ceased,  the  Russians  thinking 
the  battle  was  terminated,  at  least  for  that  day.  In  a 
silence  that  to  the  keen  observer  always  presages  the 
coming  of  a  storm,  the  army  took  its  new  position  of 
battle.  A  signal  was  to  be  given  from  twenty  pieces  of 
artillery  that  were  massed  in  a  battery  at  the  point 
where  Napoleon  stood  directing  the  movements,  cool, 
prudent,  realizing  that  the  fortunes  and  glory  of  France 
depended  upon  the  next  few  hours. 

Resisting  the  impatient  appeals  of  his  generals  and 
the  soldiers  who  were  ready  to  throw  themselves  on  the 
enemy,  the  Emperor  calmly  awaited  the  complete  dis- 
position of  the  forces  before  giving  the  word. 

Then  the  signal  boomed  forth  from  the  deadly  mouth 
of  a  score  of  cannon. 

Ney  rushed  his  men  forward  into  a  descent  that  was 
overwhelming.  The  Russian  artillery  poured  shot  into 
the  approaching  ranks  and  every  moment  was  marked  by 
awful  ravages,  for  the  files  of  men  were  so  deployed  that 
they  received  the  full  effect  of  the  fire  in  their  face  and 
at  their  side.  The  infantry  in  Bisson's  division  hesitated, 
stopped.  Napoleon  hastening  to  their  support  ordered 
General  Senarmont  to  change  the  position  of  his  bat- 
tery so  he  might  command  the  Russian  artillery. 

Indifferent  to  the  rain  of  balls  the  general  placed  his 
cannon  as  Napoleon  directed,  the  enemy  meanwhile 
making  his  men  the  target  of  their  artillery  and  musket 
fire  from  across  the  river  and  the  plain. 


The  Russians  appalled  by  the  ceaseless  cannonade 
sought  every  avenue  to  escape  the  terrible  advance  of 
Napoleon.  The  Imperial  Guard  emerging  from  the 
ravine  climbed  over  the  earth  walls,  bayonetted  the 
canonniers,  drove  the  valiant  Russians  before  them  like 
chaff. 

It  was  a  grand  butchery,  a  glorious,  horrible  fete  of 
the  White  Army,  a  hand-to-hand  conflict  of  the  an- 
cients. The  Russians  fled  before  the  victorious  host,  the 
bridges  were  in  flames  and  Marshal  Ney  met  General 
Dupont  in  the  centre  of  blazing  Friedland. 

Then  Napoleon  as  a  great  mechanician  who  plans  and 
manoeuvres  a  masterful  machine  that  works  to  his  satis- 
faction, ordered  an  advance  of  the  entire  army. 

The  scene  was  grand,  formidable;  with  a  mighty  shout 
the  French  rushed  over  the  ground  as  the  last  ranks  of 
the  Russians  disappeared  in  the  obscurity  of  the  evening. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  at  night  when  Napoleon,  victorious, 
dismounted  from  his  horse  and  ate  a  piece  of  bread  that 
had  been  offered  him  by  a  soldier.  It  was  the  first 
mouthful  he  had  tasted  during  the  day. 

A  bivouac  fire  in  the  ranks  of  Lannes's  men  sent  its 
sparks  and  glare  high  into  the  heavens  and  threw  forth 
such  an  inviting  warmth  that  Napoleon  approached  it  to 
dry  his  boots,  soaked  with  the  watersof  the  turbulent  river. 
His  pale  face  lighted  with  the  reflection  from  the  crack- 
ling logs,  was  no  sooner  recognized  than  a  great  cheer 
went  up,  that  was  caught  by  succeeding  groups  until  it 
surged  over  that  wide  plain  and  through  the  bloody 
streets  of  the  fallen  city. 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  of  the  West !  " 

Napoleon  made  no  movement  of  response  to  this 
spontaneous  ovation,  but  his  quick  ear  caught  the  sound 
of  the  new  title  given  him  by  his  proud  followers.  It 
fired  a  train  of  thought  in  his  keen  mind  and  he  mur- 
mured: 

"  Emperor  of  the  West  !     It  is  a  good  name,  a  great 


388     

role  !  Ah,  if  the  Emperor  Alexander  would  join  with 
me  !  We  two  could  rule  the  world." 

It  was  the  beginning  of  that  which  has  been  called 
the  Napoleonic  insanity,  the  Russian  Alliance  was  the 
first  symptom  of  mental  disorder  in  this  grand  man,  the 
first  step  towards  destruction. 

On  the  ipth  of  June  Napoleon  reached  the  banks  of 
the  Niemen,  the  stream  separating  Eastern  Prussia  from 
the  Russian  Empire. 

The  Grand  Army  leaving  its  camp  at  Boulogne  in 
September,  1805,  had  traversed  Europe  in  a  triumphal 
progress. 

Austria  crushed  at  Austerlitz;  Prussia  vanquished  at 
Jena;  Russia  beaten  and  demoralized  atFriedland;  what 
remained  for  him  to  do  ? 

Peace  ! 

Yes,  but  with  civilized  Europe,  with  England,  with 
Austria,  with  Prussia — not  with  the  barbarians  of  Rus- 
sia !  Unhappily  the  Emperor  accepted  seriously  the  un- 
reliable friendship  of  the  Czar  Alexander.  They  talked 
with  him — Talleyrand,  Fouche,  the  two  traitors  who  ad- 
vised him — of  marriage  with  the  Grand  Duchess  Anne, 
sister  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 

These  traitors  flattered  the  secret  desire  held  by  the 
Emperor  for  an  alliance  with  one  of  the  reigning  families, 
and  having  an  heir  whose  grandfather  sat  upon  a  throne, 
not  by  force  of  arms  but  by  divine  right  and  the  fiction 
of  inheritance, 

The  Grand  Duchess  Anne  was  not  yet  fifteen  years  of 
age.  She  was  short,  plump  and  exceedingly  pretty.  A 
resemblance  was  found  between  her  and  the  Empress 
Catharine  because  of  her  aquiline  nose,  her  face  being 
free  from  the  blunt  and  Tartar  features  of  the  Russian 
rulers.  The  Princess  had  been  educated  with  great  care 
by  Madame  de  Lieven,  and  she  gave  every  promise  of 
being  an  accomplished  sovereign. 

But  the  physical  and  moral  qualities  counted  for  little; 


—  389  — 

it  was  the  alliance  with  Emperor  Alexander  that  at- 
tracted Napoleon,  for  he  had  already  resolved  to  break  his 
marriage  with  Josephine  and  fortune  appeared  in  every 
way  to  favor  the  consummation  of  this  plan,  as  the  next 
day  following  the  victory  Prince  Bagration  as  envoy  of 
the  Czar  came  with  proposals  for  peace,  and  to  ask  an 
interview  in  the  name  of  his  Imperial  Russian  master. 

The  interview  was  fixed  for  June  25th  at  Tilsit,  and 
the  hour  to  be  one  o'clock,  midday. 

Napoleon  addressed  to  his  army  this  proclamation 
which  even  at  nearly  one  hundred  years  still  inflames 
every  French  heart: 

"Soldiers: 

"On  the  5th  of  June  we  were  attacked  by  the  Russian 
army.  The  enemy  was  misled  as  to  the  reasons  for  our 
inactivity.  It  was  learned  too  late  our  repose  was  that 
of  the  lion  and  they  repented  when  they  troubled  it. 

"  From  the  banks  of  the  Vistula  we  have  come  to  the 
borders  of  the  Niemen  with  the  rapidity  of  an  eagle. 
You  celebrated  at  Austerlitz  the  anniversary  of  my 
accession  ;  you  have  this  year  celebrated  that  of  the 
battle  of  Marengo,  which  put  an  end  to  the  war  of  the 
second  coalition. 

"  Frenchmen  !  You  have  exalted  yourselves  and  me  ! 
You  return  to  France  covered  with  laurels  and  after 
having  secured  a  glorious  peace  that  carries  with  it  the 
guarantee  of  being  permanent.  The  time  has  come  for 
our  country  to  live  free  from  the  malign  influence  of* 
England. 

"  My  actions  will  prove  my  gratitude  and  give  you  all 
to  understand  the  love  I  feel  for  you." 

This  proclamation  was  dated  at  the  Imperial  Camp  at 
Tilsit,  June  22,  1807.  Three  days  later  occurred  the 
memorable  interview  between  the  two  Emperors. 

An  enormous  raft,  designed  by  General  Lariboisiere, 
was  floated  upon  the  waters  of  the  Niemen.  Upon  it  a 
glass  pavilion  was  constructed,  and  decorated  with 
tapestries  and  hangings  found  in  rich  profusion  among 
the  treasures  of  the  city  of  Tilsit. 


39°    

Napoleon  and  Alexander  embarked  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, and  promptly  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they 
stepped  upon  the  temporary  island  that  was  to  become 
famous  from  that  time.  Murat,  Berthiere,  Bessieres, 
Duroc  and  the  Master  of  the  Horse,  Caulaincourt,  ac- 
companied Napoleon. 

The  Czar  was  escorted  by  the  Grand  Duke  Constan- 
tin,  Generals  Benningsen  and  Ouvaroff,  Prince  Labanoff 
and  Count  Lieven. 

When  they  met  the  two  Emperors  embraced  in  sight 
of  their  respective  armies  drawn  up  on  the  opposite 
shores  of  the  river,  and  were  saluted  with  a  storm  of 
hurrahs  and  cries  at  this  solemn  and  amicable  demon- 
stration. 

The  scene  was  strange  and  impressive,  A  vast  and 
unbroken  plain  extended  to  the  limit  of  sight.  The 
narrow  Niemen  rolled  its  muddy  waters  through  the 
marshy  earth,  beyond  the  little  city  of  Tilsit  to  the 
marshes  of  Lithuania,  protected  by  a  wall  of  mountains 
where  the  Teutons  had  erected  a  formidable  fort. 

On  the  right  side  of  the  river  dwelt  the  hairy,  fero- 
cious, half-civilized  Cossacks,  riding  horses  as  savage  as 
themselves  and  bearing  long,  murderous  lances;  the 
Basques  armed  with  the  ancient  bow  and  arrow,  Oriental 
tribes  recalling  memories  of  early  Asiatic  invasions. 
Among  these  Eastern  barbarians  arose  the  Russian 
Guard,  dignified,  imposing,  superb,  with  their  tall 
stature,  clothed  in  a  costume  of  green  and  red. 

On  the  left  bank  were  gathered  the  crowds  of  heroes, 
with  their  high  feathers,  their  cloaks  and  tall  hats. 

The  population  of  the  country  swarmed  among  the 
soldiers  and  united  their  cries  with  those  of  the  two 
armies.  The  Emperors  had  embraced  and  were  recon- 
ciled; they  promised  to  live  thereafter  in  peace,  and  vil- 
lages would  no  more  be  converted  into  slaughter-houses 
or  bonfires. 

Joy  was  wide-spread;  every  one  saw  a  return  home,  to 


391     • 

family,  to  wife;  in  their  simplicity  the  brave  warriors 
accepted  as  an  expression  of  sincerity  the  spectacular 
reconciliation  of  the  Emperors.  Events  following  not 
long  after  this  showed  that  politics  has  no  heart 
and  two  sovereigns  can  greet  each  other  cordially  and 
yet  be  fighting  to  the  death  meanwhile. 

Alexander  was  still  young;  he  was  a  Slav,  he  was 
nervous  and  easily  influenced,  susceptible  to  fugi- 
tive impressions,  to  capricious  thoughts,  to  uncertain 
decisions.  He  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age  and, 
although  he  was  vanquished,  he  felt  a  certain  vanity  in 
having  measured  his  prowess  with  the  conqueror  of 
Europe  who  at  Eylau  and  Friedland  had  defeated  him 
with  difficulty. 

The  two  sovereigns,  after  their  embrace,  entered  the 
glass  pavilion  to  confer. 

A  third  sovereign  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
melancholy,  disheartened,  inspiring  disdain,  perhaps 
pity.  It  was  the  King  of  Prussia. 

Frederick  William  had  not  been  invited  to  accompany 
the  two  Emperors;  he  had  begged  Alexander  to  plead 
his  cause  and  he  anxiously  awaited  the  result  of  the 
interview. 

Napoleon  employed  his  most  charming  manners  in 
the  meeting  with  Alexander;  he  was  cordial,  fluent  and 
persuasive  and  he  threw  into  his  expressions  that  irre- 
sistible seductiveness  of  which  he  had  unlimited  control. 

"  Why  do  we  make  war  on  each  other  ?"  he  said,  "  it 
is  the  English  alone  we  should  fight !  " 

"  If  you  wish  to  invade  England  we  are  in  the  live- 
liest accord,"  responded  the  Czar.  "  I  detest  the  English, 
they  have  deserted  me,  abandoned  me  in  the  moment 
of  my  peril." 

"  If  you  have  those  sentiments  then  peace  is  assured," 
said  Napoleon  quickly,  extending  his  hand. 

Napoleon  was  intent  on  winning  the  friendship  of 
Alexander;  he  still  dwelt  on  the  idea  of  a  Russian 


392       

alliance;  he  saw  England  erased  from  the  map  and  his 
own  political  rule  supreme  by  the  confederation  of  two 
great  empires.  Napoleon  ceded  all  details  that  Alexander 
asked.  He  was  conqueror  and  yet  he  received  conditions 
from  the  conquered.  He  made  foolish  sacrifices  in  that 
brief  interview  of  interests  clearly  due  to  France,  but 
he  was  influenced  by  the  double  chimera  of  having  the 
Cossacks  and  Basques  as  allies  and  wedding  the  imperial 
princess. 

Of  all  the  faults  committed  by  Napoleon  in  the  latter 
years  of  his  reign,  one  only  was  criminal:  at  Tilsit  he 
might,  as  absolute  master  of  the  situation,  have  recon- 
structed the  kingdom  of  Poland  and  have  protected 
the  west  by  its  natural  safeguard  against  the  menaces 
of  Panslavism.  The  omission  to  do  this  brought  upon 
France  Waterloo,  Sedan  and  two  invasions. 

To  please  his  new  friend,  Napoleon  sacrificed  Turkey, 
the  old  and  constant  ally  of  France.  Hs  had  promised 
the  Ottoman  Porte  he  would  never  make  any  treaty 
that  would  allow  Russia  to  enjoy  an  outlet  on  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  ultimate  disadvantage  of  Constan- 
tinople, he  agreed  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  Otto- 
man Empire.  He  permitted  Alexander  to  put  his  hands 
on  Malgravia  and  Valachia;  the  appetite  of  the  Russian 
ogre  was  insatiable;  we  know  something  of  it  to-day. 
Napoleon  sacrificed  Persia  to  the  Muscovite  maw;  he 
abandoned  Poland  despite  the  tears  and  charms  of  the 
beautiful  Countess  Walewski. 

And  in  exchange  for  all  these  gifts,  all  these  subjects, 
all  this  territory,  what  was  offered  by  the  delighted 
Alexander  ? 

Promises,  sighs,  amiable  words. 

Alexander  promised,  Napoleon  presented. 

The  Czar  declared  he  did  not  like  England;  he  offered 
to  recognize  the  Napoleonic  dynasty  and  the  new  kings, 
the  brothers  Bonaparte  had  seated  upon  chance  thrones. 

A  revolution  occurring  shortly  after  assuring  the  de- 


393    — 

position  of  the  Sultan,  Napoleon  proposed  to  Alexander 
that  they  appropriate  the  Turkish  Empire.  The  Mus- 
covite potentate  was  strongly  favorable  to  the  offer — to 
himself  the  East,  to  Napoleon  the  West.  They  would  par- 
tition the  globe  as  two  heritages,  as  an  estate  that  had 
been  long  in  litigation.  It  was  at  this  suggestion  Alex- 
ander exclaimed  in  genuine  enthusiasm  for  Napoleon: 

"  What  a  great  man  !  What  a  genius  !  What  broad 
views!  What- profound  thought!  Ah,  that  I  had  known 
you  sooner  what  faults  I  would  have  avoided,  what 
great  things  we  would  have  accomplished  together." 

Alexander  profited  by  the  influence  he  was  gradually 
acquiring  over  Napoleon,  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  King 
of  Prussia,  every  other  influence  had  been  brought  to 
bear  without  result.  The  King  wished  the  old  elector- 
ates of  Brandenburg  and  Saxony  to  be  restored.  The 
Queen  of  Prussia  had  urged  this  concession.  Her 
beauty,  her  grace,  her  spirit  had  been  relied  on  to 
touch  Napoleon.  The  Queen  was  at  that  time  thirty- 
two  years  of  age  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  women  in  Europe. 

She  made  every  effort  to  seduce  Napoleon,  but  he 
was  defiant;  he  closed  his  eyes  and  would  permit  no 
sentiment  to  enter  his  heart.  The  Queen  was  not  skik- 
ful;  she  disliked  the  Emperor,  yet  she  feigned  a  passion 
for  him;  she  played  her  part  as  an  actress  of  mediocre 
ability  imparting  unconsciously  to  her  voice  the  in- 
tensity of  her  feeling.  To  this  sovereign  who  pleaded 
for  her  kingdom  Napoleon  opposed  a  frigid,  icy  manner. 

Upon  one  occasion  at  dinner  the  Emperor  politely 
presented  the  Queen  with  a  beautiful  rose  and  she  in 
accepting  it  murmured: 

"Ah,  sire,  with  Magdeburg." 

She  looked  into  the  Emperor's  face,  her  eyes  moist, 
her  sigh  sweet,  a  little  as  the  coquettish  courtezan 
tempts  her  rich  lover:  "  Ah,  sire,  if  you  will  be  gener- 
ous, be  good,  as  they  say  you  are,  as  they  all  love  you." 


Napoleon  dryly  interrupted  the  sovereign  and  said  : 

"  Your  Majesty  is  familiar  with  my  intentions;  I  have 

communicated    them    to    the   Emperor  of   Russia   and 

charged  him  with  making  them  known  to  King  William, 


for  the  Czar  acts  as  mediator  between  us.     These  inten- 
tions are  unalterable." 

He  politely  saluted  and  withdrew. 

The   peace  of  Tilsit  was  signed  on  July  6,  1807.    The 


395 

following  day  the  sovereigns  exchanged  their  ratifica- 
tions. Napoleon  wore  the  Grand  Cordon  of  Saint  An- 
drew, Alexander  the  Grand  Cordon  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor.  The  Russian  Imperial  Guard  and  the  Old 
Guard  were  drawn  up  facing  each  other.  Napoleon 
pinned  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  upon  the 
breast  of  a  Russian  Guard  amid  the  wild  applause  of 
the  armies. 

The  memorable  interview  was  at  an  end,  France  glo- 
rious and  triumphant.     Napoleon  dominated  Europe. 


LIII. 

THE    AUSTRIAN    ALLIANCE. 

THREE  years  passed  before  Napoleon  took  any  fur- 
ther steps  in  his  project  for  divorce,  or  sought  to  realize 
his  dreams  of  a  Russian  alliance  strengthened  by  a 
marriage  with  the  Grand  Duchess  Anne. 

The  war  in  Spain,  the  campaign  in  Austria  had  served 
to  occupy  his  time  during  this  period.  But  despite  his 
inaction  the  desire  for  an  heir  and  the  wish  to  build  up 
a  dynasty  on  a  marriage  with  the  daughter  or  sister  of 
a  reigning  sovereign  grew  stronger  and  stronger  in  Na- 
poleon's heart.  At  Erfurt  he  had  opened  the  negotia- 
tions for  such  a  culmination  by  suggesting  to  the  Em- 
peror Alexander  the  possibility  of  cementing  their  al- 
liance by  becoming  brothers-in-law. 

The  Czar  had  agreed  without  agreeing  to  the  project'. 
He  advanced  but  one  objection,  the  Empress-mother. 
Conferences  continued  with  Russia  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  the  consent  of  the  Empress-mother.  M.  de 
Caulaincourt,  envoy  to  the  Czar  for  this  special  nego- 
tiation, counselled  delay.  The  Court  of  Russia,  desirous 
of  putting  the  affair  off  as  long  as  possible,  made  all 
manner  of  excuses.  They  dwelt  upon  the  ill  health  of 


the  Grand  Duchess,  they  insisted  upon  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Greek  chapel  with  orthodox  priests  at  the 
Tuileries. 

All  those  subterfuges  irritated  Napoleon;  his  nervous 
temperament  chaffed  at  the  delay.  He  saw  under  these 
excuses  a  defiance  of  his  wishes,  a  repugnance  to  give 
him  for  a  wife  a  daughter  of  the  Czars.  The  question 
of  a  Greek  chapel  was  nonsense;  he  was  wounded  at  the 
condition  imposed  upon  him  to  never  re-establish  the 
kingdom  of  Poland. 

He  resolved  to  renounce  the  Russian  Alliance. 

But  he  had  not  yet  separated  from  Josephine.  He 
loved  her  devotedly,  he  always  loved  her,  and  it  was  not 
without  genuiue  grief  that  he  nerved  himself  to  tear  his 
affections  asunder  and  take  up  new  ties.  Josephine  had 
ever  exercised  great  influence  over  Napoleon;  to  him, 
notwithstanding  her  age  and  indiscretions,  she  was  al- 
ways the  most  beautiful  and  seductive  of  women. 

On  his  return  from  Schoenbrunn,  where  he  had  en- 
joyed the  companionship  of  the  charming  Comtesse 
Walewski,  who  was  enceinte,  he  resolved  finally  to 
hasten  the  divorce.  He  had  received  the  proof  in  two 
instances,  from  Eleonore  de  la1  Plaigne  and  from  the 
beautiful  Pole,  that  nature  permitted  him  to  have  an 
heir.  He  proposed  then  to  make  known  his  decision 
to  Josephine  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  and  after 
that  it  could  be  determined  whether  he  should  wed  the 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Saxony  or  the  daughter  of  the 
Emperor  of  Austria.  The  alliance  with  the  sister  of 
Alexander  had  already  been  renounced. 

Soon  after  his  return  the  Emperor  summoned  the 
Arch-chancellor  Cambaceres  to  confer  with  him  at 
Fontainebleau. 

"  What  is  this  I  hear  ?  "  said  the  Emperor,  "  Paris  has 
expressed  some  doubts  lately  !  Been  stirred  by  false 
news  !  Has  it  lost  confidence  in  me  ? " 

"  No,  sire,  you  are  always  loved,  followed,  admired. 


397 

But  we  feared  because  there  have  been  some  alarming 
rumors  during  the  past  few  months  ;  it  has  been  said  an 
attempt  was  made  to  assassinate  you  while  at  Schoen- 
brunn." 

"  They  were  wrong  to  be  disturbed  by  such  a  report ; 
it  had  merely  a  foundation  of  truth.  There  was  a  great 
crowd  at  Schoenbrunn  ;  the  people  admired  our  victor- 
ious troops.  A  young  man  dressed  in  a  long  coat — I 
had  noticed  the  fellow  because  he  had  made  several  at- 
tempts to  get  near  my  carriage — did  certainly  intend  to 
strike  me.  He  held  a  paper  in  his  hand — a  petition, 
probably.  Rapp  saw  him  and  was  impressed  by  some- 
thing in  his  actions,  and  seized  him.  They  found  on 
the  man  a  long,  naked  knife." 

"  Intended  for  you,  sire  ?  " 

"  Yes,  so  the  rascal  said.  I  talked  with  him  myself 
and  I  had  him  examined  by  Corvisart.  The  man's 
name  is  Staaps,  and  he  was  the  son  of  a  Protestant  min- 
ister at  Erfurt.  The  miserable  fool  appeared  perfectly 
calm  and  declared  he  acted  entirely  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility,— had  no  accomplices  whatever.  I  don't  believe 
it,  however  ;  I  think  he  belongs  to  that  sect  of  Phila- 
delphes  whose  members  have  sworn  to  kill  me,  or  see  me 
killed.  Bah  !  those  are  the  professional  perils  of  being 
a  ruler.  They  could  not  have  had  much  of  interest  in 
Paris  to  be  engrossed  by  such  a  report." 

"  Your  life  is  so  precious,  sire  !  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Napoleon,  after  a  moment's  thought, 
"  it  is  necessary  I  should  live.  If  I  am  struck  by  the 
bullet  of  a  lunatic,  or  the  dagger  of  a  fool,  what  will  be- 
come of  my  work,  of  my  France  ?  All  will  die  with  me. 
I  am  building  on  the  sand,  Cambaceres,  and  it  is  time 
if  we  are  wise  that  we  gave  the  Empire  a  more  substan- 
tial foundation." 

The  Arch-chancellor  evidently  was  not  pleased. 

"  Your  Majesty  wishes  an  heir.  I  do  not  pretend  that 
you  should  not  realize  this  desire,  only,  if  you  will 


398     

permit  me  to  observe  that,  without  speaking  of  the  bad 
impression  it  will  make  on  the  people,  if  you  repudiate 
the  Empress,  all  the  clergy  will  oppose  it." 

"  I  will  see  the  clergy  is  obedient,  I  possess  the  respect 
of  the  Pope,"  Napoleon  replied,  haughtily. 

"  In  all  events,  sire,  be  careful  of  the  religious  element 
in  the  selection.  If  you  wed  a  Catholic  princess  it  will 
be  necessary  to  set  aside  the  clandestine  religious  mar- 
riage you  have  celebrated." 

"That  marriage  is  void,  its  formalities  were  never  ful- 
filled," Napoleon  answered,  petulently. 

"  You  were  blessed  by  the  Pope,  Pius  VII.,  and  he 
would  not  otherwise  have  consented  to  the  crowning  of 
Josephine." 

"  Yes,  that  is  true.  Fesch  married  us  secretly  in  an 
apartment  of  the  Tuileries,  but  it  was  simply  a  com- 
plaisant affair  done  to  allay  the  scruples  of  the  Pope." 

"  It  was  officially  attended." 

"  The  ecclesiastical  judges  and  the  Counsel  of  State 
will  determine  that.  Cambaceres,  I  want  you  to  go  and 
prepare  the  Empress  for  a  serious  interview  with  me  on 
this  subject." 

Cambaceres  bowed  and,  in  taking  leave  of  the  Em- 
peror, murmured: 

"  He  will  quarrel  with  Russia,  and  we  shall  have  the 
Austrian  Alliance;  that  means  all  of  Europe  will  be 
under  arms  within  three  years.  Poor  Emperor!  My 
poor  France  !  " 

LIV. 

THE    DIVORCE. 

FOR  many  months  Josephine  had  dreaded  the  blow 
that  finally  fell  with  such  crushing  force.  She  had  sur- 
rendered to  Cardinal  Fesch  the  certificate  of  her  religious 
marriage,  relying  upon  the  true  affection,  the  faithful- 
ness of  Napoleon,  to  maintain  her  rank  as  his  wife. 


399 

But  since  the  episode  of  the  beautiful  Pole  and  the 
intimacy  of  Schoenbrunn,  was  she  sure  of  holding  the 
heart  of  the  Emperor  ? 

Summoned  by  the  Arch-chancellor,  Josephine  re- 
sponded, trembling,  her  langorous  eyes  bathed  in  tears. 

The  scene  was  brief  and  painful. 

It  was  after  dinner,  on  November  30,  1809.  The 
coffee  served,  Napoleon  took  the  cup  that  was  held  by 
a  page  and  made  a  sign  that  he  should  leave  the  room. 

Husband  and  wife  for  the  last  time  were  tete-^-tete. 

Napoleon  announced  his  resolution  in  few  words.  He 
made  no  attempt  at  delicacy  in  the  explanation,  he  said 
the  interests  of  the  country  demanded  that  he  should 
have  an  heir  and  consequently  he  was  forced  to  annul 
this  marriage  and  contract  another. 

As  Josephine  sobbed  some  beseeching  words,  recalled 
how  she  had  loved  Bonaparte,  as  she  sought  to  revive 
his  tenderness  by  reverting  to  their  happy  moments  and 
their  delicious  hours,  Napoleon  interrupted  her  passion- 
ately and  imperatively  striving  to  restrain  the  emotion 
that  agitated  his  own  breast  and  defended  his  resolve 
by  the  pitiless  exclamation: 

"  Do  not  try  to  change  my  determination,  nothing 
can  do  that.  I  shall  always  love  you  Josephine,  but 
politics  demands  that  I  shall  separate  from  you.  Politics 
has  no  heart,  it  has  only  a  head." 

Josephine  with  the  cry  of  a  broken  heart  sank  uncon- 
scious to  the  floor  ;  she  heard  but  the  first  words  of  the 
unhappy  speech. 

Napoleon  summoned  the  chamberlain  M.  de  Bausset: 

"  Come  in  and  close  the  door,"  he  said. 

Josephine  was  stretched  upon  the  floor  sobbing,  cry- 
ing, moaning: 

"  I  cannot  bear  it,  I  cannot  bear  it !  It  will  kill 
me !  " 

"  Can  you  lift  the  Empress  and  carry  her  to  her  pri- 
vate apartments  by  the  inside  staircase;  there  they  can 


400 


give  her  the  care  she  requires?     But  stop  a  moment,  I 
will  help  you  !  "  said  Napoleon. 

And  between  them,  the  Emperor  and  the  chamber- 
lain,   the   still   un- 
conscious   Joseph- 
ine was  raised  and 
supported   on    the 
shoulder  of  M.  de 
Bausset.    Na- 
poleon, with  a 


light  in  his  hand,  went  ahead  from  the  room  as  though 
showing  the  path  to  this  quasi-funeral.  He  opened  the 
t9  the  corridor,  and  said: 


"Go  down  these  stairs." 

"Sire,  these  stairs  are  too  steep,  I  shall  fall." 

The  Emperor  putting  aside  the  light,  clasped  his  arms 
around  Josephine's  limbs,  while  the  chamberlain  sup- 
ported her  head,  and  together  they  carefully  picked  the 
way  down  the  uncertain  and  winding  steps  with  the 
inert  and  deathlike  body  of  the  stricken  Empress.  But 
as  they  descended  step  by  step  the  chamberlain  was 
surprised  to  see  Josephine  open  her  eyes,  and  say  in  her 
sweet  voice: 

"Don't  squeeze  me  so  tight !  " 

And  then  she  relapsed  into  unconsciousness.  This  for- 
tunate sign  assured  him  of  the  continued  health  of  the 
repudiated  wife. 

Napoleon  was  affected  as  deeply  as  was  his  wife;  he 
sacrificed  his  happiness,  his  love,  to  the  demands  of  poli- 
tics, and  he  was  cruelly  punished  for  it.  It  was  a  ter- 
rible and  prophetic  vision  of  his  destiny  this  sinister  de- 
scent of  the  staircase  with  the  wife  who  had  been  the 
companion  of  his  glory,  the  good  fairy  that  presided 
over  his  life. 

The  decree  was  signed  on  December  i5th,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  solemn  assembly  at  the  Tuileries,  brought  to- 
gether at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

In  the  Emperor's  grand  cabinet  there  were  present: 
Madame  Mere  (the  Emperor's  mother),  the  Queens  of 
Spain,  Naples,  Holland,  Westphalia,  Princess  Pauline — 
all  of  Napoleon's  sisters — triumphant  and  making  no  at- 
tempt to  conceal  their  joy  from  Hortense,  the  sad 
Queen  of  Holland;  the  Kings  of  Holland,  of  Westphalia, 
Naples,  and  Eugene,  Viceroy  of  Italy.  Cambaceres, 
assisted  by  Murat  and  by  Renauld  de  Saint-Jean- 
d'Angely,  occupied  seats  before  the  table,  upon  which 
were  laid  the  documents  pertaining  to  the  divorce. 

Then  Napoleon  taking  Josephine's  hand  and  his  eyes 
filled  with  tears  he  did  not  repress,  genuine  tears  from 
his  heart,  repeated  the  remarks  prepared  for  him  by 


— —    402     

Cambacieres  announcing  the  resolution  taken  by  him 
and  his  dear  wife.  He  gave  as  his  sole  reason  for  the 
separation  the  hopelessness  of  expecting  children  from 
his  union  with  Josephine. 

"  Arrived  at  the  age  of  forty  years  I  can  entertain  the 
hope  of  still  living  long  enough  to  educate  in  my  spirit 
and  in  my  thoughts  the  children  Providence  may  be 
pleased  to  give  me.  God  knows  how  this  resolution  has 
torn  my  heart,  but  there  is  no  sacrifice  that  would 
be  too  great  for  my  courage,  if  I  felt  it  were  best  for 
France. 

"  I  wish  to  say  that  far  from  there  having  ever  been 
any  questions  arise  between  us,  I  have  the  fondest  and 
tenderest  attachment  for  my  beloved  wife.  She  has 
made  happy  fifteen  years  of  my  life,  and  the  memory  of 
them  will  always  remain  graven  on  my  heart.  Having 
been  crowned  by  my  hand,  I  desire  she  shall  retain  the 
rank  and  title  of  Empress,  but  above  all,  I  wish  no 
doubt  to  exist  as  to  my  sentiments  and  that  I  shall 
always  look  upon  her  as  my  best  and  dearest  friend." 

Josephine  on  her  part  endeavored  to  make  fitting 
response  to  this  declaration,  but  her  voice  was  choked 
with  grief  and  her  eyes  were  blinded  with  tears.  She 
handed  the  paper  from  which  she  began  to  read,  to 
Regnauld  de  Saint-Jean-d'Angely  who  repeated  the 
words  in  her  stead. 

She  declared  she  accepted  the  divorce  with  resig- 
nation and  in  the  hopes  that  it  would  be  the  means 
of  presenting  the  nation  with  an  heir.  "  But,"  said  the 
declaration,  "  the  dissolution  of  my  marriage  will  in  no 
manner  change  the  sentiments  of  my  heart;  the  Emperor 
will  always  find  in  me  his  best  friend.  I  am  well  aware 
that  this  act,  made  necessary  by  political  demands  and 
by  great  state  interests,  has  touched  his  heart  but  we 
all  find  glory  in  the  sacrifices  that  we  make  for  the  good 
of  our  country," 

To  the  phrases  and   text  of  Cambaceres  and   Maret, 


Josephine  had  added  but  a  single  line,  touching  in  its 
simplicity: 

"  I  am  glad  to  give  to  the  Emperor  the  greatest 
proof  of  attachment  and  of  devotion  that  has  ever  been 
given  on  this  earth." 

The  next  day,  December  i6th,  the  Senate  con- 
firmed the  divorce.  The  decree  was  couched  in  sober 
and  precise  terms.  The  first  article  provided  that  the 
marriage  between  the  Emperor  Napoleon  and  Empress 
Josephine  was  dissolved.  The  second  article  provided 
that  Empress  Josephine  should  always  bear  the  title 
and  be  considered  an  Empress.  The  third  article  fixed 
the  amount  of  her  annuity,  an  annual  sum  of  two  mill- 
ions of  francs  paid  from  the  public  treasury  should  be 
allowed  her.  The  successors  of  the  Emperor  were 
bound  to  fulfill  the  provisions  of  the  divorce.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  the  revenue  from  Navarre  was  assigned  to 
Josephine  during  her  life. 

It  was  claimed  later  that  legal  reasons  existed  against 
the  divorce  and  in  favor  of  the  civil  marriage  celebrated 
on  March  9,  1796  in  the  presence  of  the  municipal  offi- 
cer of  the  Second  Arrondisementof  Paris.  If  Josephine 
gave  the  correct  date  of  her  birth  she  was  forty-six 
years  of  age  in  1809  and  divorce  was  not  permitted  to 
any  persons  aged  more  than  forty-five.  Article  7  of 
the  Imperial  statutes  provides  that  "divorce  is  inter- 
dicted to  all  members  of  the  Imperial  family  of  both 
sexes  and  all  ages." 

But  these  provisions,  these  restrictions,  these  judicial 
decisions  and  legal  objections  could  not  withstand  the 
imperious  will  of  the  all-powerful  Emperor.  Napoleon 
had  wished  the  divorce  and  Josephine  obeyed  him;  there 
had  been  abnegation  and  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  Em- 
press in  consenting  to  this  sad  condition,  while  on  the 
part  of  the  Emperor  there  had  also  been  a  certain  de- 
gree of  heartache  because  of  the  love  he  bore  Josephine, 
an  affection  less  sensual,  less  passionate  doubtless  than 


404     — 

his  earlier  years,  but  an  affection  that  was  real,  serious, 
profound.  The  tears  he  shed  at  the  rupture  of  their 
love  were  genuine,  and  those  that  filled  the  eyes  of 
Josephine  were  no  less  burning. 

The  i6th  of  December,  the  day  the  Senate  declared 
the  union  dissolved,  was  Saturday.  At  four  o'clock  on 
the  afternoon  a  carriage  took  Josephine  from  the  Tuil- 
eries  to  Malmaison.  The  weather  was  most  disagree- 
able, the  heavens  were  hung  in  black  for  the  event  as 
they  should  be  for  a  funeral.  The  route  from  Rueil, 
lonesome,  melancholy,  sad,  increased  the  unhappiness  of 
the  ex-Empress. 

Her  son  Eugene  who  had  acted  as  one  of  the  private 
counsel  consulted  by  Napoleon,  accompanied  her.  The 
Emperor  had  left  the  Tuileries  and  was  then  residing  at 
the  Trianon.  Two  days  later  he  visited  Malmaison. 

"  I  find  you  more  depressed  than  I  had  thought," 
said  Napoleon  to  Josephine  with  kindness;  "you  have 
kept  up  your  courage,  attend  to  your  health  which  is  so 
precious  to  me.  Let  me  see  you  calm  and  happy." 

He  embraced  her  tenderly  and  returned  to  the  Tria- 
non. On  Christmas  Napoleon  gave  a  dinner  at  the 
Trianon  and  Josephine  was  there  for  the  last  time. 

What  can  be  said  of  the  parting  of  these  two  lovers, 
separated  by  a  public  act  ? 

Doubtless  Josephine  cried  and  Napoleon  was  hardly 
less  uncomfortable;  fatality  interposing  between  them, 
they  were  the  playthings  of  politics,  the  slaves  of  fortune. 
Notwithstanding  the  faults  of  Josephine,  despite  the 
infidelities  of  Napoleon,  the  imperial  household  was 
always  a  happy  one.  The  Emperor  never  expressed 
any  regrets  concerning  his  fatal  step,  but  in  his  declin- 
ing days  at  Saint  Helena  when  illness  racked  his  frame 
with  pain  and  he  felt  the  daily  humiliation  of  being  in 
the  claws  of  the  British  cat  that  played  cruelly  with  its 
victim,  the  vision  of  the  happy  years  passed  with  Joseph- 
ine no  doubt  occupied  his  thoughts  and  this  last 


4°5     

dinner  in  the  Trianon  was  like  a  ghost  to  his  remorse. 
But  he  was  possessed  of  a  mysterious  and  an  irresist- 
ible power,  as  a  man  stumbling  over  a  precipice,  pitch- 
ing head  foremost,  with  no  control  over  himself,  until 
he  reached  the  bottom. 

When  Josephine  entered  Malmaison,  the  Court  made 
preparations  for  the  second  marriage  of  Napoleon. 

Talleyrand  and  Fouche,  inseparable  traitors,  were 
joined  by  that  diplomatic  perfidy,  M.  de  Metternich, 
of  whom  Cambaceres  said,  "  He  is  very  near  a  states- 
man, he  is  such  a  beautiful  liar,"  and  they  hastened  to 
provide  a  young  Empress  for  the  Tuileries. 

M.  de  Metternich  made  known  to  the  Emperor, 
through  Duke  de  Bassano  as  intermediary,  that  if  he 
addressed  the  Austrian  Court,  he  would  not  meet  with 
refusal  nor  would  the  conferences  for  the  final  arrange- 
ments be  delayed  as  they  were  by  Russia.  Austria,  in 
fact,  had  no  reason  for  delaying  the  event  if  it  were  de- 
cided upon. 

In  the  early  days  of  February,  1810,  Napoleon  broke 
off  his  relations  with  Russia  and  sent  an  autograph  let- 
ter to  Francis  II.  It  was  an  official  demand,  and  Ber- 
thier,  Prince  of  Neufchatel,  was  charged  with  asking  the 
hand  of  Marie  Louise  from  the  Court  of  Vienna. 

Napoleon  was  changed  now;  he  was  certain  of  be- 
longing to  the  rank  of  kings,  of  undisputed  kings.  He 
gave  more  attention  to  his  personal  appearance,  he 
studied  himself  anxiously.  He  had  his  throat  examined, 
his  chest  sounded,  and  he  spent  much  time  before  the 
mirror  assuring  himself  that  his  teeth  were  in  proper 
condition. 

At  this  epoch  Napoleon  was  changing  in  his  physiog- 
nomy and  his  bearing.  He  was  five  feet  three  inches, 
and  appeared  still  shorter  surrounded  by  the  giants  of 
his  army,  Berthier,  Lefebvre,  Ney,  Mortier,  Duroc,  and 
others. 

His  complexion,  which    was  always   olive,  had    now 


taken  the  tone  of  old  ivory;  his  previous  slender  figure 
had  given  place  to  a  very  perceptible  stoutness.  The 
medals  showing  the  General  of  the  Army  in  Italy,  with 
hair  flowing  and  long,  was  not  the  likeness  of  him  who 
now  appeared  like  an  Italian  prelate  of  the  Renais- 
sance. 

Now  his  hair  was  thin,  his  forehead,  naturally  high,  was 
higher  and  his  temples  indicated  approaching  baldness. 
His  glance  was  as  piercing  and  penetrating  as  ever,  and 
his  eyes  had  the  acquired  power  of  possessing  a  singular 
brilliancy  that  seemed  to  make  them  translucent.  When 
he  fixed  his  eye  on  a  human  being  it  made  an  impres- 
sion that  was  never  forgotten.  All  memoirs,  all  libellers 
of  the  Restoration  confirm  this  extraordinary  power  of 
.Napoleon's  eye.  He  could  charm  or  destroy  with  it, 
and  modern  science,  better  than  history,  has  analyzed 
the  incomparable  power  he  could  exert  by  a  glance  of 
his  eye. 

Napoleon's  physique  was  not  noticeable  or  abnormal. 
His  head  was  twenty-two  inches  in  circumference;  he 
wore  always  by  preference  the  famous  little  hat  that  is 
associated  with  his  portraits  and  his  statues;  his  feet 
were  small;  his  hands  were  petit  and  beautifully  shaped. 
His  health  was  excellent,  his  constitution  extraordinary, 
he  could  perform  an  exceptional  amount  of  work  with- 
out feeling  fatigue,  he  never  knew  what  it  was  to  be 
indolent,  he  dismounted  from  his  horse  to  plunge  im- 
mediately into  his  accounts,  his  plans,  his  public  duties. 
He  entered  into  the  smallest  details,  his  disposition  was 
to  examine  the  minutiae  of  every  situation,  his  thorough- 
ness is  indicated  in  this  note,  preserved  in  the  Govern- 
ment records,  and  made  by  Napoleon  on  the  margin  of 
a  report  rendered  him  by  Comte  Mollien,  Minister  of 
the  Treasury:  "Why  have  you  mentioned  only  two  of 
the  four  cannon  at  Ostend?"  He  had  seen  these  can- 
non, he  remembered  them  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
pressing,  urgent  matter,  concerning  the  army  and  the 


407 

nation,  he  recalled  those  cannon  and  insisted  upon 
knowing  what  had  become  of  the  entire  number. 

It  may  be  said  that  Napoleon  was  in  the  full  strength 
of  his  years  and  at  the  summit  of  his  power  when,  the 
divorce  being  pronounced,  he  prepared  for  the  espousal 
with  Marie  Louise. 

The  first  modification  made  in  his  personal  affairs  in 
view  of  the  approaching  marriage  was  the  arrange- 
ment of  his  wearing  attire.  He  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  wearing  a  foulard  nightgown  open  in  front  and  a 
nightcap  that  possessed  so  little  of  the  majestic  as  to 
invariably  excite  the  ridicule  and  laughter  of  Josephine, 
but  he  felt  this  peculiarity  of  dress  would  not  be  espe- 
cially pleasing  to  the  young  wife  and  so  he  decided  to 
abandon  it  and  sleep  in  his  bare  head. 

He  likewise  bathed  every  day  ;  he  dictated  his  dis- 
patches while  in  the  bath  and  when  he  left  it  he  was 
massaged,  brushed  and  rubbed  with  eau  de  cologne. 
He  wore  drawers  of  white  linen,  white  silk  stockings, 
breeches  of  white  cashmere  and  the  dress  of  colonel  of 
chasseurs. 

With  a  further  idea  of  pleasing  Marie  Louise  he  gave 
orders  to  the  tailor  who  dressed  Murat  to  prepare  for 
him  a  number  of  costumes  such  as  were  worn  by  the 
King  of  Naples.  The  coat  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
wear  he  wished  to  be  used  as  a  model  for  the  new.  In 
vain  Leger,  tailor  to  the  King  of  Naples,  suggested 
changes,  alterations,  elaborations,  but  Napoleon  would 
not  hear  of  the  magnificence  and  sumptuousness  affected 
by  Murat,  his  brother-in-law,  who  was  covered  with 
gold  lace  and  embroideries. 

But  Napoleon's  boots  were  of  the  finest  quality  and 
were  made  by  a  ladies'  shoemaker  as  were  also  his  low 
shoes. 

Napoleon  summoned  Despreaux  and  took  lessons  in 
the  valse,  he  wished  to  open  the  ball  on  the  day  of  the 
grand  fete  celebrating  the  marriage,  with  Marie  Louise 


408 


as  his  partner  and  the  valse  was  the  essential   dance. 
He  ordered  new  hangings  for  the  palace,  new  pictures, 

changed  the  furni- 
ture, increased  the 
bric-a-brac.  There 
was  nothing  of  the 
old  court  left  to  greet 
the  new  Empress. 

Upon  one  occasion 
as  Napoleon  was  fe- 
verishly walking 
through  the  galleries 
of  the  palace  he  stop- 
ped before  the  por- 
traits of  Louis  XVI. 
and  Marie  Antoinette 
that  were  placed  in 
the  salon  of  the  fu- 
t  u  r  e  Empress,  and 
smiling  sarcastically 
he  murmured: 

"The  king,  my  un- 
cle ;  my  aunt,  the 
queen." 

Marie  Louise  was 
in  fact  the  niece  of 
Marie  Antoinette. 

In  one  of  these  mo- 
ments of  exuberance 
and  playfulness  Na- 
poleon said  to  Le- 
febvre:  "Come  here, 
Duke,  I  want  to  talk 


to  you." 

And  Lefebvre  mum- 
bled to  himself:  "  Humph  !  he  wants  to  pour  into  my 
ears  the  praises  of  this  Austrian,  she  is  perfection,  an 


409     

eighth  wonder,  never  has  any  one  seen  such  a  beautiful 
princess.  Why  don't  he  take  Maret  or  Savary  for  his 
confidences,  I  am  not  interested  in  them  !  " 

Marshal  Lefebvre  regretted  Josephine.  It  was  with 
pain  he  had  seen  the  Emperor  seat  an  Austrian  princess 
on  the  throne  of  France,  and  he  was  opposed  to  the 
divorce,  he  considered  it  desertion,  the  two  had  begun 
the  conflict  of  life  together;  why  should  they  run  away 
in  the  middle  of  the  battle? 

Responding  to  the  Emperor's  call,  Lefebvre  followed 
to  the  grand  salon  which  had  just  been  furnished  anew, 
carpets  of  great  value  laid  and  upon  the  walls  rich  tap- 
estry decorated  with  golden  bees. 

"  There,  Marshal,  isn't  that  beautiful  ?  "  asked  Napo- 
leon. 

"  Yes,  it  is  and  it  does  you  great  credit,"  answered 
Lefebvre. 

"  There  is  nothing  too  good,  nothing  too  rich  for  her 
who  will  come  here  as  Empress,"  exclaimed  the  Em- 
peror. 

Lefebvre  turned  towards  the  walls  and  continued  to 
examine  and  compliment  the  furniture,  the  curtains,  the 
brocaded  silks,  the  golden  fauteuils  and  the  superbly 
carved  sofas.  In  one  corner  stood  an  elegant  harp  of 
gilded  wood,  with  a  procession  of  dancing  cupids  and 
wreaths  of  roses  delicately  painted  upon  it. 

"  The  Archduchess  is  a  fine  musician,"  said  Napo- 
leon, touching  the  wires  of  the  instrument  lightly  with 
his  finger.  "  Come  here  and  I  will  show  you  the  Em- 
press* trousseau,"  and  Napoleon  led  the  way  to  the  bou- 
doir prepared  for  Marie  Louise. 

The  Duke  was  much  better  suited  to  inspect  the  uni- 
form of  a  grenadier  or  review  an  encampment  than  to 
appreciate  the  rich  articles  that  were  spread  over  the 
bed,  the  sofas,  the  chairs,  and  which  were  carefully 
enumerated  by  the  delighted  Emperor.  Fie  displayed 
successively  laces,  chemises  trimmed  with  Valenciennes, 


handkerchiefs,  undervests,  petticoats,  night  caps,  and  a 
multitude  of  other  articles  furnished  by  the  famous  Ma- 
demoiselle Lolive  and  Madame  Beuvry,  whose  accounts 


footed  up  nearly  an  hundred  thousand  francs.  Another 
hundred  thousand  francs  were  expended  for  laces,  point 
d'Angleterre,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  thousand 
for  dresses.  There  were  all  sorts  of  ornaments,  trifles, 


ribbons,  beads,  with  which  Napoleon  had  filled  ela- 
borate baskets.  The  jewelry  was  marvelous  and  as  beau- 
tiful as  ever  queen  wore. 

There  was  a  miniature  of  the  Emperor  encircled  in 
diamonds  and  valued  at  six  hundred  thousand  francs. 
A  diamond  collar  costing  nine  hundred  thousand  francs, 
more  beautiful  than  the  famous  queen's  necklace,  two 
earrings  worth  four  hundred  thousand  francs  and  a 
parure  of  emeralds,  turquoises  and  diamonds.  These 
were  among  the  wedding  presents  given  by  the  Emperor, 
in  addition  to  which  there  was  a  headdress  of  diamonds 
given  by  the  Crown  Treasury  and  valued  at  three  mil- 
lion three  hundred  thousand  francs.  There  was  also  a 
paper  providing  for  an  allowance  to  the  Empress  of 
30,000  francs  monthly,  one  thousand  each  day  for  spend- 
ing-money.  Napoleon  looked  at  all  these  things  with 
evidences  of  the  most  complete  satisfaction;  he  was 
delighted  to  show  them  to  his  old  companion  : 

"  Don't  you  think  she  should  be  happy,  the  Em- 
press ? "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sire,  the  Archduchess  certainly  could  not  live 
more  elegantly  in  her  father's  palace.  She  has  now  the 
simplest  jewels  and  all  her  dresses  put  together  are  not 
worth  as  much  as  one  of  these  chemises.  What  a  change 
for  the  Archduchess,  all  these  diamonds,  these  laces, 
these  ornaments  and  yet  they  count  for  little  besides  the 
glory  of  being  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon." 

"  Flatterer  !  "  exclaimed  the  Emperor  gaily. 

"  I  only  say  what  I  think,  sire;  you  know  I  am  like  my 
wife,  a  little  sans-gene." 

"  Ah,  apropos  of  your  wife,  I  have  something  to  say 
to  you,  confidentially;  dine  with  me;  come  to  dinner 
now." 

And  they  turned  towards  the  dining-room.  Lefebvre 
a  little  surprised  by  the  Emperor's  remark,  thinking  : 

"  What  can  he  want  to  say  about  my  wife  !  Has  she 
been  quarrelling  with  those  sisters  again,  I  wonder  ? " 


412 


LV. 


LEFEBVRE    REBUKES   NAPOLEON. 

THE  dinner  of  the  Emperor  was  prepared,  and  the 
covers  laid  in  the  small  dining-room  that  the  victor  of 
Jena  preferred  to  the  large  state  apartment.  Since  the 
departure  of  Josephine  he  had  taken  no  meals  with  any 
of  his  convivial  companions,  but  had  at  the  last  moment 
invited  Duroc,  Rapp,  the  chamberlain  or  some  minister 
who  had  called  to  hand  in  a  report. 

Napoleon  never  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  pleasures  of 
the  table;  he  was  a  very  rapid  eater  and  swallowed  his 
food  without  any  regard  for  conventionality;  he  made  it 
a  point  never  to  eat  for  more  than  fifteen  minutes,  and 
he  lived  up  to  this  peculiarity  even  in  his  great  banquets. 
He  would  push  back  his  chair  suddenly  in  the  middle 
of  a  meal,  making  a  sign  with  his  hand  that  no  one 
should  be  interrupted  by  his  leaving;  he  always  saw  to 
it  that  a  dinner  was  well  served,  because,  although  a 
poor  judge  in  himself  and  not  at  all  of  a  gourmet,  he 
realized  that  those  about  him  enjoyed  the  table  to  its 
full  extent.  His  marshals  were  gifted  with  robust  appe- 
tites and  the  Arch-chancellor  Cambaceres  earned  the 
admiration  of  Napoleon  by  the  manner  in  which  he  ab- 
sorbed enormous  slices  of  roast  meats  and  drank  two 
carafes  of  chambertin,  his  favorite  wine.  Napoleon, 
who  did  not  drink  at  all,  always  saw  to  it  that  two  carafes 
of  this  were  placed  on  each  side  of  the  Arch-chancellor. 

One  day,  rising  suddenly  from  the  table  as  was  his 
habit,  Napoleon  said  to  Prince  Eugene,  who  arose  with 
him: 

"  But  you  have  not  had  time  to  eat,  Eugene  ! " 

"  Pardon  me,  sire,  but  receiving  Your  Majesty's  invi- 
tation, I  dined  in  advance.  ' 

And  this  wise  precaution,  inaugurated  by  the  son  of 


Josephine,  was  thereafter  popular  among  those  members 
of  the  Court  who  sat  at  the  Imperial  table. 

The  Emperor  breakfasted  alone,  never  used  a  napkin, 
and  had  the  plates  set  upon  a  small  round  table.  He 
ate  in  a  few  moments  eggs  and  cutlets,  and  it  has  been 
stated  by  those  who  have  written  of  the  intimate  affairs 
of  palace  life  that  the  Emperor  was  rather  slovenly 
than  otherwise  at  his  meals;  he  did  not  always  use  a 
fork  and  he  had  a  reprehensible  habit  of  breaking  his 
bread  in  his  plate  and  mixing  it  with  his  gravy.  He 
made  no  distinction  whatsoever  as  to  the  society  present 
and  dined  in  the  same  manner  whether  his  guests  were 
princes,  dukes,  marshals  or  ladies 

Napoleon  had  his  favorite  dishes,  chicken  hla  marengo, 
so  named  by  him  after  one  of  his  great  victories,  and  he 
also  was  fond  of  dishes  of  the  workingman  or  farmer; 
lentils,  beans,  shoulder  of  veal  grilled  with  lard.  He 
was  an  amateur  so  far  as  wine  was  concerned  and  those 
from  whom  he  bought  made  no  secret  of  robbing  him. 

The  dinner  to  which  Lefebvre  was  summoned  was 
simply  served,  but  was  somewhat  more  pretentious  than 
ordinarily.  Napoleon  was  trying  to  accustom  himself 
to  remaining  at  the  table  after  he  had  completed  his 
meal;  it  was  another  sacrifice  he  was  ready  to  make  to 
his  future  wife. 

"The Germans  have  such  gross  appetite  and  they  are 
accustomed  to  prolonging  their  dinners,  I  presume  I 
must  accustom  myself  to  it,"  he  argued. 

Lefebvre,  who  was  a  vigorous  eater  found  no  objection 
to  this  new  system  Napoleon  was  introducing,  but  he 
was  a  trifle  uneasy  during  this  meal  for  he  could  not 
determine  in  his  mind  why  the  Emperor  had  invited 
him  and  what  he  had  to  say  concerning  Catharine. 

When  dinner  was  ended  and  coffee  served,  Napoleon 
said  to  Lefebvre,  without  any  preliminaries: 

"  What  do  you  think  of  my  breaking  with  Josephine, 
all  of  you,  all  you  marshals  ?  You  know  the  reason  of 


4H     

it,  don't  you  ?  I  wish  to  know  what  is  thought  of  my 
divorce  and  new  marriage." 

"  But,  sire,  we  have  not  had  any  other  idea  than  that 
which  would  please  Your  Majesty  we  should;  we  bow 
before  your  decision;  we  are  not  in  the  habit  of  discuss- 
ing your  orders.  The  divorce  and  marriage  is  to  us  a 
change  of  front,  a  new  manoeuvre  that  you  probably 
feel  it  necessary  to  execute.  We  have  no  objections  to 
make.  I  will  tell  you,  truly,  we  mourn  the  Empress. 
She  was  good,  gracious,  with  a  kind  word  for  every  one 
who  approached  her,  and  we  were  accustomed  to  her 
and  she  was  accustomed  to  us.  Her  fortunes  had  grown 
with  our  own,  we  were  poor  together,  and  rose  with 
you,  sire,  to  the  position  we  now  occupy.  She  never 
reproached  us  for  our  humble  origin  or  our  ignorance 
of  the  customs  in  the  higher  world  of  fashion.  Oh,  I 
know  that  some  speak  of  us,  of  me  and  of  my  dear  wife, 
the  Queen  of  Naples,  or  those  in  the  household  of  the 
Grand  Duchess  Elisa  " 

"  You  exaggerate  the  raillery  of  my  sisters.  I  know 
that  they  are  pleased  to  turn  their  derision  on  the  brave 
men  who  have  aided  to  gain  my  battles,  to  establish 
this  throne  that  they  consider  as  a  heritage  in  the 
family." 

"  The  Empress  Josephine,  sire,  never  tolerated  these 
questionable  pleasantries  and  these  sneers  that  wound, 
she  treated  every  one  with  consideration  and  with  regard 
to  their  feelings.  We  fear  that  a  new  sovereign,  a 
princess  educated  in  the  court  of  Austria,  in  the  midst 
of  proud  nobles,  having  all  the  prejudices  of  her  caste 
will  not  think  we  are  good  enough,  our  origin  will  be 
too  modest  for  an  aristocratic  lady.  Sire,  we  have  little 
sympathy  with  your  daughter  of  an  Emperor.  That  is 
what  is  said  by  your  marshals,  your  generals,  your  com- 
panions from  the  battlefield." 

"  Have  no  fear,  my  dear  Lefebvre,  Marie  Louise  is 
very  good.  Your  new  Empress  will  love  and  honor 


such  heroes  as  you,  Lefebvre,  as  Ney,  as  Oudinot,  as 
Soult,  as  Mortier,  Bessieres  or  Suchet.  Your  wounds 
are  the  noblest  of  crests,  and  your  nobility  has  for  its 
quarterings  not  the  chimeras  and  the  fantastic  crowned 
griffins  of  other  times,  but  captured  cities,  battered  cita- 
dels, burning  bridges,  flags,  thrones,  all  conquered  by 
your  prowess;  this  is  modern  heraldic  science  and  Marie 
Louise  knows  it  and  respects  it." 

"  It  is  not  altogether  us,  there  are  our  wives,"  Lefebvre 
said. 

Napoleon  made  a  gesture  of  impatience: 

"Yes,  yes,  I  see!  Your  blessed  wives  didn't  win  the 
battles." 

"Sire,  they  partook  of  our  existence,  they  stimulated 
our  courage,  kept  up  our  energies;  they  loved  and  ad- 
mired us,  and  they  are  good  wives  who  merit  the  favor 
of  Your  Majesty  and  the  victories  they  have  been  a  part 
of,"  Lefebvre  responded  with  energy. 

"Yes,  I  know;  but  some  of  these  excellent  wives,  to 
whose  virtue  I  render  all  homage,  make  the  most  ex- 
traordinary grand  dames,  remarkable  duchesses.  My 
God,  didn't  you  have  enough  of  marriage  when  you  were 
a  sergeant?" 

"  Sire,  it  may  be  that  I  made  a  mistake  when  I  was  a 
sergeant,  but  I  have  never  repented  of  it." 

"  You  have  a  good  and  loyal  heart,  Lefebvre,  and  I 
endorse  your  words  as  I  do  your  actions;  but,  seriously, 
at  this  moment,  here  you  are  a  marshal  of  the  Empire,  a 
grand  officer  of  my  crown,  Duke  of  Danzig  and  your  wife, 
very  good  woman,  but  she  is  out  of  her  place;  she  ex- 
cites ridicule  by  her  plebian  manners;  her  language  is 
still  that  of  a  woman  who  has  been  raised  from  the 
washtubs." 

"  The  Duchess  of  Danzig,  or  Madame  Lefebvre,  I  love: 
I  shall  love  her  always,  and  nothing  in  her  manners  will 
ever  cause  me  to  forget  the  many  years  of  happiness  we 
have  had  together." 


— —     4*6     

"  You  were  married  under  the  Revolution,  Lefebvre!  " 

"  Yes,  sire,  we  were.  There  could  not  be  a  stronger 
tie." 

"  Do  you  believe  that  ? "  said  Napoleon,  looking 
fixedly  at  Lefebvre. 

"We  are  married,  Catharine  and  I,  and  it  is  for  life." 

"  But  I  was  married  to  Josephine,  and  " 

"  Sire,  that  is  different." 

"  Possibly!  But,  my  dear  Lefebvre,  have  you  never 
thought  about  a  divorce  ? " 

"  Never,  sire!     I  consider  a  divorce  " 

He  stopped  catching  himself  quickly  with  the  thought 
that  what  he  started  to  say  might  be  misinterpreted  as 
a  criticism  on  the  conduct  of  the  Emperor. 

"  Now,  see,  Marshal,"  continued  Napoleon  noticing 
Lefebvre's  embarrassment,  "suppose  we  divorce  our 
wives  at  the  same  time.  I  will  see  that  the  marchioness 
is  well  provided  for,  she  shall  have  all  possible  attention, 
every  honor  shall  be  shown  her  in  her  new  estate  ;  she 
shall  preserve  the  title  of  duchess.  You  understand  all 
that." 

Lefebvre  rose  pale,  agitated,  his  lips  trembled  as  if  he 
would  make  the  answer  to  his  Emperor  that  his  quick 
nature  prompted.  He  leaned  against  the  chimney  piece 
while  the  Emperor  with  his  hands  crossed  behind  him 
and  walking  rapidly  up  and  down  the  room,  continued 
as  though  he  were  dictating  an  order  for  a  battle. 

"Once  the  divorce  is  pronounced,  I  will  find  for  you 
a  wife,  a  lady  of  the  old  court,  with  a  title  and  a  name 
and  connections.  It  don't  make  much  difference  about 
her  fortune,  I  will  give  you  all  the  money  you  want, 
enough  for  both  of  you.  I  believe  the  young  no- 
bility should  mix  in  with  the  old.  You  are  a  modern 
paladin,  you  will  be  classed  with  the  heroes  of  the 
crusade.  Now,  see,  we  will  found  on  the  fusion  of 
double  France,  the  old  and  the  new,  a  modern  society, 
a  modern  order  of  the  regenerated  world.  Then,  there 


will  no  more  be  antagonism  between  the  two  aris- 
tocracies ;  your  children  will  be  on  a  par  with  the  heirs 
of  the  noblest  families  in  Europe  and  within  two  gen- 
erations there  will  not  exist  any  further  traces,  no  mem- 
ories even  of  the  division,  of  the  hostility  of  the  two 
parties  ;  there  will  be  be  only  one  France,  one  nobility, 
one  people.  Come,  Lefebvre,  get  a  divorce,  I'll  find  an- 
other wife  for  you." 

"Sire,  you  may  send  me  to  the  confines  of  the  globe, 
into  the  burning  deserts  of  Africa,  over  the  icy  steppes 
of  Siberia,  you  may  dispose  of  me  now  and  for  ever,  you 
may  order  me  killed  if  you  will;  I  shall  obey;  you  may 
strip  me  of  my  rank,  of  my  titles  that  I  owe  to  my  sword 
and  to  your  generosity,  but-  you  can  never  influence  me 
to  renounce  my  love  for  my  dear  Catharine;  you  can 
never  oblige  me  to  separate  from  my  companion  who 
has  been  devoted  to  me  during  my  unfortunate  days 
and  who  will  remain  my  wife  until  I  die.  No,  sire,  you 
will  never  see  that;  I  deplore  your  disgrace  and  I  shall 
never  be  divorced.  Madame  Lefebvre,  marchioness  and 
duchess  by  your  will,  will  remain  Madame  Lefebvre  by 
mine." 

The  Duke  of  Danzig  spoke  fiercely  and  violently, 
daring,  for  the  first  time,  to  defy  the  Emperor  and  resist 
his  appeal. 

Napoleon  looked  at  the  Marshal  intently  and  said  : 

"  You  are  a  brave  man,  a  model  husband,  Duke.  I 
cannot  partake  of  your  ideas,  but  I  respect  your  scru- 
ples. What  the  devil !  I  am  not  a  tyrant.  I  will  speak 
no  more  to  you  of  divorce  ;  keep  your  washerwoman — 
only  advise  her  to  control  her  tongue  and  not  to  in- 
troduce in  my  Court,  before  the  new  Empress,  brought 
up  in  the  Imperial  Palace  of  Vienna,  the  language  of 
the  markets  and  manners  of  Vauxhall.  Go,  Duke;  I 
have  an  appointment  with  the  Minister  of  Police  ;  you 
wish  to  return  to  your  fireside." 

Lefebvre   saluted    and   withdrew,   disturbed   by   the 


proposition  of  the  Emperor  and  by  the  sarcastic  words 
that  had  followed  his  rebuke.     As  the  Marshal  disap- 
peared, Napoleon  looked  after  him,  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders and  muttered  : 
"  Imbecile  !  " 


LVI. 

THE    HEART    AFLAME. 

LEFEBVRE,  discontented,  restless,  and  with  inflamed 
countenance  wondered  how  the  Emperor  would  take 
his  resistance  and  endure  the  moral  defeat  which 
he  had  inflicted,  and,  grumbling,  went  to  his  apart- 
ments. 

He  found  Catharine  trying  on  a  court  costume  in  view 
of  the  ceremonies  attendant  on  the  Imperial  marriage: 

She  threw  everything  away  on  seeing  her  husband, 
flew  to  meet  him,  and  clasped  him  in  her  arms,  greeting 
him  joyously  and  familiarly,  then  the  next  moment, 
seeing  his  troubled  face: 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  she  cried  with  anguish.  "  Has 
any  one  fired  at  the  Emperor?" 

"  No,  His  Majesty  is  well  !     Very  well !  " 

"  Ah  !     What  a  relief,"  said  Catharine. 

The  possibility  of  the  sudden  death' of  Napoleon 
haunted  the  soul  of  every  one.  It  was  the  worse 
catastrophe  that  could  be  imagined.  The  dread  of  it 
not  only  tormented  those  near  the  Imperial  person,  but 
the  entire  nation,  and  was  not  without  its  value  to  the 
audacious  prospects  of  Mallet  and  the  Philadelphians. 

Catharine  repeated  her  question: 

"  Well  !  What's  the  matter  ?  You  come — you  go — 
you  don't  seem  to  be  able  to  rest  quiet  a  moment.  'Tis 
something  serious,  then  ?  " 

"  Very  serious  !  ", 


4*9     

And  Lefebvre  began  to  pace  the  room — something 
after  the  fashion  of  his  Imperial  master. 

"  You  have  had  a  quarrel  with  His  Majesty  ? "  asked 
Catharine. 

"Yes,  we  tackled  each  other.  The  Emperor  charged 
me  from  the  rear.  I  resisted  his  attack  as  well  as  I 
could.  I  took  the  offensive — and — and  " 

"  And  what — pray  ? " 

"I  beat  "him.  'Tis  very  dangerous  to  beat  the  Em- 
peror. He  is  the  sort  of  man  to  be  revenged." 

"  Likely  enough  ?  But  what  on  earth  did  you  quarrel 
about?" 

"About  you!" 

"About  me!     Nonsense — impossible." 

"  It  is  true.  Fancy  what  the  Emperor  wanted  me  to 
do  with  you!  " 

"  How  should  I  know?  Perhaps  he  wanted  you  to 
send  me  to  that  castle  we  talked  about  buying — for 
which  he  gave  you  the  money — at  Danzig,  you  know  !  " 

"  In  fact,  it  was  afar  off — in  the  country  that  he 
wanted  me  to  send  you." 

"  Why  didn't  you  agree  to  his  wishes.  A  short  visit 
to  the  country  would  rest  me,  we  should  have  a  coach 
to  drive  about  in,  dogs,  a  cow  to  give  us  milk.  I  think 
'twould  be  delightful,  and  besides,  don't  you  see, 
Lefebvre,  I  am  sick  and  tired  of  these  court  fops  (chip- 
pies) who  make  game  of  us.  I  don't  see  the  fun  of  all 
these  fetes — these  receptions  of  the  Emperor,  and  the 
wedding  that  draws  near  will  be  nothing  but  standing 
for  hours  and  hours  on  one's  hind  paws,  with  mantles 
that  are  awfully  heavy,  corsets  that  strangle  one  and 
hairpins  that  stick  into  one..  If  the  Emperor  wants  to 
send  us  to  the  country — to  this  estate  he  has  chosen,  let 
us  go  at  once — let  us  buy  the  castle  and  settle  down!  We 
shall  have  peace  and  quiet  for  a  long  time — perhaps,  for 
ever!  Why  didn't  you  agree  at  once?  Why  didn't  you 
say,  '  Sire,  we  are  ready  J ' " 


42°     

"  Because,  my  good  Catharine,  when  the  Emperor 
spoke  of  sending  you  to  a  distant  castle,  he  didn't  in- 
clude me  !  " 

".What?" 

"  Yes,  I  was  to  stay  behind  with  him! " 

"That's  a  pretty  notion — to  part  us  in  time  of  peace 
— I  like  that!  So,  I  was  not  to  go  with  you  to  the  field, 
as  your  aide-de-camp — a  standard-bearer!  and  to-day 
— when  all  Europe  is  at  peace.  What's  the  nTatter  with 
the  Emperor,  I  wonder?" 

"  Not  only  did  he  want  to  separate  us,  my  dear  Cath- 
arine, but  do  you  know  what  he  intended  doing  with 
me  ?  " 

"Not  I!  Perhaps  to  give  you  a  command  in  the  army, 
or  to  make  you  ruler  of  some  great  State — Naples  or 
Holland  ! " 

"  You're  out  there!    He  wanted  to  make  me  marry  !  " 

Catharine  screamed. 

"  You  marry — and  how  about  me  ?" 

"  You  were  to  be  divorced  !  " 

"Divorced!  I!  He  dared  to  propose  that!  He  had 
the  impudence  to  speak  of  divorce!  It's  abominable! 
What  did  you  say,  Lefebvre  ?  " 

The  Marshal  opened  his  arms  and  smiled.  Catharine 
fell  into  them. 

The  husband  and  wife  embraced  with  ardor — happy 
to  be  near  each  other — hugging  as  if  to  reassure  them- 
selves after  the  fright  that  the  very  idea  of  separation 
had  called  up  in  their  hearts;  they  protested  by  that 
fond  embrace  against  the  divorce  of  which  the  Emperor 
had  spoken.  Nothing  should  separate  them  ;  they 
vowed  in  that  silent  and  sweet  embrace  that  the  very 
thought  of  such  violence  was  abhorrent  to  them. 

"And  what  answer  did  you  make  to  the  Emperor?" 
Catharine  asked,  after  a  long  silence,  disengaging  her 
hands  from  her  husband's  arms. 

Lefebvre  led  his  wife  to  a  sofa,  made  her  sit  down 


421 


beside    him,  and    whispered,  looking  tenderly  into  her 
eyes,  and  holding  her  hand  in  his: 

"  I  told  the  Emperor  I  loved  you,  Catharine,  you 
and  only  you;  that  having  lived  together  happily  all 
the  years  of  our  lives 
we  had  but  one  hope, 
one  wish,  to  live  to- 
gether to  the  end,  to 
dwell  side  by  side, 
till  some  Russian  or 
Spanish  bullet  should 
send  me  to  rejoin 
Hoche,  Desaix,  Lan- 
nes,  all  those  com- 
rades of  my  battles 
past." 

"  You  said  well,  Le- 
febvre  !  What  will 
the  Emperor  mix  up 
in  next,  I  wonder. 
Does  he  want  every- 
body to  be  divorced 
because  he  is?  But 
he  must  have  had 
some  project,  some 
plan?" 

"Don't  I  tell  you 
he  wants  me  to  get 
married  ! " 

"And  to  whom,  I'd 
like  to  know  !  Yes,  I 
am  jealous!  Tell  me 
the  name  of  the  wo- 
man he  proposed  to  you.  He  has  taken  up  a  nice  trade 
for  an  Emperor — some  woman  he  wants  to  get  rid  of, 
one  of  his  cast-off  mistresses,  no  doubt.  That  Gazzani 
woman, — or  that  Eleonore,  or  the  fair  Pole  !  " 


- —    422    ' 

"  He  mentioned  no  name  !  " 

"  That's  good  !  " 

"  He  spoke  generally.  He  wants  me  to  imitate  him, 
to  follow  his  lead.  He  has  an  Archduchess,  and  he 
would  have  us  all  marry  into  some  noble  family." 

"  What  ideas  !  See  here,  my  poor  Lefebvre,  I'm  not 
speaking  for  you.  I  know  you  too  well,  but  the  other 
Marshals,  what  could  they  do  with  those  beautiful  ladies 
— so  proud  of  their  ancestry  ?  Isn't  Augerau  the  son  of 
a  hawker  in  the  markets;  Ney,  Massena,  every  one  of 
them,  aren't  they  children  of  the  people,  like  you  and  I  ? 
What  folly  to  want  to  give  them  wives  who  would  cast 
it  up  to  them,  laugh  at  them  and  deceive  them  with 
other  nobles  like  themselves.  Lefebvre,  I  am  beginning 
to  fear  that  our  Emperor  has  a  slight  strain  of  folly  in 
him  after  all.  It  is  stupid  in  him  to  marry  the  daughter 
of  an  Emperor,  who  will  always  despise  him  as  a  soldier 
of  fortune." 

"  The  Emperor  has  his  reasons,  no  doubt !  " 

"  And  we  have  ours  !  However,  you  refused — de- 
cidedly refused  ! " 

"  Do  you  doubt  it  ? "  said  Lefebvre  tenderly,  as  he 
kissed  his  wife  again. 

Blushing  with  pleasure,  Catharine  grew  calm. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  you  know  well  enough  I  would 
never  marry  another  woman,"  said  Lefebvre,  smiling. 

"  I  should  think  not,  indeed;  don't  you  belong  to  me? 
didn't  you  swear  you  would  be  mine  and  mine  only  till 
death  did  us  part?" 

"  Yes,  I  vowed  that  before  the  Justice  of  Peace.  It's 
a  long  time  ago,  but  I've  never  forgotten  it,  my  Catha- 
rine !  It  was  the  oath  I  took  when  I  married  you." 

"  Nor  I ;  and  besides,  if  you  had  been  tempted  to 
forget,  there's  something  to  remind  you." 

"  What  ? "  said  Lefebvre,  puzzled. 

"That ! "  said  Catharine,  turning  up  the  sleeve  of  his 
uniform  and  showing  a  heart  aflame,  with  the  motto, 


t  2  jy         ****^^m» 

"To  Catharine,  for  life,"  tattooed  in  blue  on  his  skin. 
It  was  his  bridal  gift. 

"  It  won't  rub  out,"  cried  Catharine  in  triumph;  "  could 
you  marry  an  archduchess  with  such  a  thing  on  your 
arm?  I  wonder  what  she'd  say  when  she  saw  it?  I 
guess  she  would  want  to  know  who  this  Catharine  was 
to  whom  you  vowed  to  be  faithful.  She'd  be.  apt  to 
raise  Cain.  Ah,  me !  You  can't  go  back  on  that 
promise,  my  old  Frangois  !  " 

"True  enough;  and  the  other  arm  wouldn't  please 
her  either,"  said  Lefebvre  laughing  and  pulling  up  the 
second  sleeve  showing  another  tattooing  dated  August 
loth,  with  this  inscription  plain  to  be  seen  : 

"  Death  to  all  Tyrants  !  " 

"  There,  you  see  we  are  bound  for  life,"  said  Catharine, 
leaning  her  head  happily  on  Lefebvre's  bosom. 

"  Yes,  for  life,"  murmured  the  Marshal. 

"  I  should  like  the  Emperor  to  come  in  and  catch  us 
now,"  said  Catharine. 

And  the  husband  and  wife,  more  firmly  united  than 
ever,  embracing,  joining  their  souls  and  mutually 
caressing,  crowned  the  victory  gained  by  Lefebvre  over 

Napoleon. 

t 

LVII. 

THE    DREAM    OF    THE    ARCHDUCHESS. 

IN  the  simple,  modest  chamber  occupied  by  her  on 
the  second  floor  of  the  Imperial  Palace  of  Vienna, 
Marie  Louise,  alone,  sat  playing  with  a  little  dog, 
Keisu,  a  tiny,  frisky  creature,  presented  to  her  by  the 
Austrian  ambassador  to  England,  one  of  those  curly- 
haired  creatures  with  a  nose  like  a  fox  and  called  King 
Charles  spaniels,  in  flippant  remembrance  of  King 
Charles  II.,  who  loved  the  diminutive  animals  and  pre- 
sented six  of  them  to  his  mistress,  the  Duchess  of  Ports- 


424     — - 

mouth,  to  keep  her  company  in  her  lonely  boudoir. 
The  dogs  were  just  then  the  rage  in  the  fashionable 
world  and  Marie  Louise  had  cultivated  an  attachment 
for  hers  that  was  stronger  than  any  she  had  yet  enjoyed. 

A  knock  at  the  door  aroused  the  Princess  from  her 
indolent  pastime  and,  in  response  to  her  almost  in- 
audible invitation  to  enter,  there  came  the  one  maid  of 
honor,  duenna,  femme  de  chambre,  allowed  as  the  entire 
retinue  of  this  exceedingly  simple-living  Duchess.  The 
maid  entered  with  a  rush,  her  eyes  glistening,  her  face 
flushed,  her  appearance  that  of  one  who  was  startled  by 
some  extraordinary  event. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  said  Marie  Louise,  in  surprise.  "  Is 
the  palace  on  fire  ?  " 

"  No,  the  palace  is  not  on  fire  ;  but  y9ur  Imperial 
father,  the  Emperor,  is  coming  here." 

"  My  father  !  Coming  to  my  room  !  What  in  the 
world  does  he  want  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Your  Highness  will  learn  very  soon, 
no  doubt." 

And  the  duenna,  curbing  her  loyal  emotion,  made  a 
majestic  reverence  and  slipped  out  as  the  Emperor  of 
Austria  approached. 

Francis  II.,  or  Francis  Joseph  I.,  Emperor  of  Austria, 
was  an  insignificant  monarch.  He  had  fought  persist- 
ently against  the  French  Revolution  and  then  against 
Napoleon,  and  he  fought  for  the  defense  of  what  he 
considered  the  basis  of  social  order,  the  maintenance  of 
the  privileges  enjoyed  exclusively  by  the  nobility,  and 
for  the  destruction  of  all  democracy.  He  loved  his 
daughter  Marie  Louise  with  that  stolid  and  fatty  affec- 
tion peculiar  to  the  German  race,  and  he  thought  she 
would  be  happy  with  Napoleon  placed  on  a  throne  that 
was  founded  on  the  glories  of  fifty  battles.  The  Em- 
peror of  France  was  at  that  time  the  richest  sovereign 
of  Europe  and  he  was  regarded  as  the  most  generous 
monarch  that  ruled  a  state.  Francis  II.  looked  with 


selfish  satisfaction  on  the  presents,  the  jewelry,  the 
laces,  the  magnificent  dresses  that  had  been  sent  to  his 
daughter  by  her  Imperial  fiance.  At  the  same  time, 
he  instructed  his  representative  in  Paris,  Prince  von 
Schvvartzenberg,  that  the  Court  was  poor  and  that  cer- 
tain donations  from  the  national  museum  and  the  na- 
tional manufactories  of  France  would  be  acceptable  to 
the  poverty-stricken  aristocracy  of  Vienna.  Then,  on 
a  word  from  Napoleon,  desirous  of  gratifying  his  pro- 
spective father-in-law,  happy  to  show  his  fiance  the 
sumptuous  extent  of  his  liberality,  Servan,  Mollien,  all 
the  officials  of  the  museum  and  the  palaces  hastened  to 
respond  to  the  Austrian  appeal. 

They  pillaged  the  Gobelin  factories,  they  exhausted 
the  resources  of  Sevres,  they  selected  the  handsomest 
pieces  from  Aubusson,  they  created  the  most  beautiful 
furniture,  objects  of  art,  hangings  and  sent  them  all  to 
Vienna.  The  future  father-in-law  received  these  gifts 
with  infinite  pleasure  as  proofs  of  the  munificence  of 
Napoleon,  and  later  in  return  he  refused  to  send  Na- 
poleon at  St.  Helena  two  horses  for  his  carriage  and 
delicacies  for  his  table. 

But  this  was  the  political  instinct  of  Francis  II.;  he  was 
pleased  to  have  Napoleon  as  his  ally  and  he  saw  in  this 
marriage  a  new  prop  to  his  throne;  he  saw  victories  from 
which  he  would  reap  a  benefit  and  he  saw  a  desirable 
substitute  for  the  broken  Russian  Alliance. 

He  received  with  joy  an  autograph  letter  from  Na- 
poleon announcing  the  arrival  at  Vienna  of  Berthier, 
Prince  of  Neufchatel,  charged  with  a  mission  officially 
asking  the  hand  of  Marie  Louise.  The  consent  or 
Francis  was  given  in  advance,  there  rested  only  one 
little  formality  to  definitely  arrange  the  union,  the  prep- 
aration of  the  young  Archduchess  that  she  might 
leave  for  Paris  and  become  Empress  of  the  French. 

It  was  the  news  of  her  departure  that  Francis  II.  came 
to  announce  personally  to  his  daughter. 


Marie  Louise  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  strong  but 
without  grace,  nothing  hi  her  actions  that  was  piquant, 
not  even  amiable,  substantial,  a  peachy,  fresh  complex- 
ion. She  was  pretty,  but  with  the  beauty  of  a  girl 
who  might  work  in  a  beer  saloon, — fat  arms,  heavy 
frame,  large  feet,  voluminous  bosom,  lips  that  were 
large  and  sensual,  her  eyes  very  blue,  very  cold,  expres- 
sionless. She  was  a  pretty  animal,  quiet,  indifferent 
and  with  very  little  delicacy. 

Napoleon,  looking  at  the  description  in  all  its  varia- 
tion, had  accepted  with  pleasure  the  physicial  acquire- 
ments of  his  fiance.  This  massive  Princess  would  be 
an  excellent  pouliniere ;  certainly  she  would  give  the 
Empire  an  heir. 

Of  her  moral  character  the  report  was  equally  pleas- 
ing. The  Princess  had  been  educated  with  a  care  that 
was  minute  and  searching,  severe  almost  as  that  of  a 
convent.  Her  education  was  thorough  and  even  sur- 
passed that  which  prevailed  at  the  time  among  those  of 
her  rank.  She  was  mistress  of  almost  every  art;  she 
spoke  with  equal  fluency  nearly  every  language  of 
Europe,  French,  English,  German,  Italian,  Spanish, 
Bohemian  and  Arabic.  She  was  destined  from  her  birth 
to  marry  some  ruling  prince  and  her  parents  saw  that 
she  was  educated  in  her  childhood  with  the  idiom  of 
her  future  subjects.  Nor  had  music  been  forgotten — the 
elaborate  harp  provided  by  Napoleon  and  which  Le- 
febvre  had  admired  in  the  Tuileries,  proved  her  future 
husband  was  not  ignorant  of  her  talents  as  a  musician. 
As  to  her  religion,  she  had  been  thoroughly  imbued  with 
the  exterior  signs  of  all  creeds  without  having  cul- 
tivated their  dogmas  to  an  embarrassing  extent.  The 
chances  of  a  political  union  might  give  her  a  husband 
who  was  Catholic,  Orthodox,  Lutheran  or  Calvinist,  and 
it  should  never  be  said  that  religion  had  been  found  an 
obstacle  to  an  alliance  that  was  in  the  interests  of  the 
Austrian  Court. 


In  the  greatest  simplicity  she  had  been  reared  and 
now  lived,  the  repeated  reverses,  the  lost  provinces,  the 
armies  destroyed  and  reorganized,  the  war  levies  had 
exhausted  the  Austrian  treasury.  The  Court  of  Vienna 
lived  upon  an  economical  scale,  no  feasts,  no  State  re- 
ceptions, only  little  family  soirees  that  were  almost 
provincial  in  their  nature,  an  occasional  musicale  with 
modest  refreshments,  no  handsome  or  expensive  furni- 
ture in  the  apartments,  no  art  objects  in  the  great 
galleries.  The  youthful  Marie  Louise  lived  very  much 
like  a  farmer's  wife  in  the  palace  of  her  father.  She 
was  constantly  on  the  alert  ready  to  throw  her  clothes 
and  little  properties  into  her  trunk  and  flee  at  the  alarm 
of  "  Napoleon  !  "  From  her  earliest  years  her  heart 
had  been  startled  by  the  affrighted  cry  of : 

"  The  French  !  " 

Then  when  this  warning  ran  through  the  corridors 
the  palace  had  been  in  an  uproar;  her  memory  was  filled 
with  visions  of  dignified  chamberlains  flying  with  almost 
unwieldly  limbs  down  the  long  halls,  with  the  gold  key 
of  their  office  flapping  against  their  back  at  every  jump, 
the  servants  throwing  pell-mell  into  the  boxes  and  cof- 
fers the  clothing,  the  precious  objects,  the  palace  uten- 
sils. Bareheaded  officers  rushing  in  bringing  blood- 
curdling news  of  the  conqueror's  approach,  the  streets 
filled  with  cowardly  refugees,  with  wounded  patriots, 
all  sending  up  a  dolorous  cry  to  heaven  deploring  their 
defeat.  The  bells  would  be  ringing  out  their  alarms, 
bands  of  blanched  countrymen  would  be  shouting 
beneath  the  palace  windows,  "Peace!  peace!"  Her 
father,  his  eyes  popping  from  his  head,  half  dressed, 
would  be  standing  in  the  door  of  his  bedroom  calling  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Have  we  got  time  to  get  into  the 
mountains  ? "  And  finally  she  remembered  how  she 
would  be  seized  by  a  nurse  and  hustled  down  into  a 
covered  carriage,  and  the  horses  put  upon  a  furious 
gallop  towards  the  Tyrol,  while  around  her  were  hyster- 


ical  women,  startled  fops  tearing  their  hair  and  throwing 
their  arms  towards  heaven  and  crying: 

"  All  is  lost  !  " 

Napoleon,  in  the  imagination  of  the  fugitive  princess, 
was  a  Corsican  ogre  who  drank  clear  blood,  who  sat 
upon  an  enormous  horse,  carried  a  sword  that  was  drip- 
ping with  the  gore  of  innocents,  who  was  a  crowned 
bandit,  followed  by  a  mob  of  butchers  and  vagabonds, 
pillaging  palaces,  wearing  red  hats,  carrying  a  guillo- 
tine with  them  and  its  knife  never  dry,  slaughtering 
defenseless  men  and  defenseless  women. 

Bur  at  the  first  words  from  her  father  Marie  Louise 
accepted  the  situation  with  docility.  She  declared  the 
marriage  he  proposed  was  not  displeasing  to  her;  she 
knew  France  was  a  great  and  beautiful  country,  and 
that  her  rank  as  Empress  would  place  her  among  the 
greatest  sovereigns  of  Europe  and  above  the  members 
of  her  own  family.  At  the  same  time  she  considered 
the  magnificent  presents  Napoleon  had  prepared  for 
her;  she  knew  the  riches  that  were  hers  in  Paris  where 
her  future  husband  awaited  her  with  impatience.  So 
Marie  Louise  responded  as  a  docile  and  obedient 
daughter  should  that  while  she  certainly  regretted  leav- 
ing her  excellent  father,  her  family  that  was  so  affection- 
ate and  the  Court  where  she  had  passed  her  young  years, 
yet  she  accepted  without  objection  the  offer  to  become 
the  wife  of  the  Emperor  of  France  if  her  father  thought 
it  were  best.  She  announced  that  she  was  ready  to 
go  to  Paris  and  the  Prince  of  Neufchatel  should  be  so 
advised. 

Francis  II.  embraced  his  daughter  tenderly;  he  shed 
no  tears,  he  showed  no  emotion,  and  with  a  passive 
manner  and  perfect  indifference  the  daughter  accepted 
the  new  situation.  She  expressed  no  surprise  at  the 
disposition  that  had  been  made  of  her,  but  recognized 
a  political  advantage  which  was  not  entirely  clear  to 
her.  She  obeyed  her  father  without  comment  while 


429 

mentally  she  enumerated  over  and  over  again  the.  pres- 
ents accompanying  her  nuptials.  The  only  questions 
she  asked  were  as  to  the  probable  value  and  importance 
of  these  presents  and  satisfied  herself  as  to  the  amount 
of  money  and  the  amount  of  power  the  man  she  pro- 
posed to  marry  could  command,  she  assured  herself  that 
she  would  be  in  a  position  in  her  exalted  rank  to  make 
all  the  other  princesses  madly  envious.  That  satis- 
fied her. 

Before  he  left  her,  Francis  II.  said  to  his  daughter: 

"You  will  be  alone  Louise  in  the  midst  of  a  strange 
people  and  far  from  us,  surrounded  by  brave  soldiers 
and  brilliant  women,  but  where  there  will  be  nothing 
to  remind  you  of  your  country.  I  have  considered  this, 
and  believe  it  best  some  of  our  family  go  with  you,  that 
you  may  have  a  companion  in  Paris" 

"  My  dear  Keisu!  My  pretty  little  King  Charles!" 
said  Marie  Louise,  clapping  her  hands  and  joyful  at  the 
thought  she  would  not  lose  her  inseparable  friend. 

"  No  !  "  answered  Francis,  "  it  is  not  Keisu,  Napoleon 
detests  dogs,  and  Keisu  can  remain  here  in  Vienna,  she 
shall  be  well  taken  care  of." 

Marie  Louise,  disappointed  and  provoked,  resumed 
her  seat  and  squeezed  out  a  few  tears  from  her  blue 
eyes.  She  tapped  the  floor  nervously  with  her  foot,  she 
did  not  want  any  of  her  family  with  her,  her  dog'  was 
probably  the  only  creature  in  the  world  she  loved.  Cold, 
haughty,  reserved,  she  had  no  youthful  feelings,  no 
virgin  curiosity,  no  vague  attraction  towards  the  un- 
known, the  desire  for  love  did  not  exist  in  her  calm 
soul,  selfish  and  closed  to  every  generous  aspiration, 
and  despite  the  realization  that  the  ardent  and  amorous 
blood  of  the  impetuous  Marie  Therese  flowed  in  her 
veins,  that  she  was  related  to  Marie  Caroline,  Queen  of 
Naples,  and  rich  in  the  history  of  famous  revelries,  to 
Marie  Amelia,  Duchess  of  Parma,  whose  loves  were  in- 
numberable,  to  Marie  Antoinette  of  France,  the  queen 


43° 

of  the  diamond  necklace,  the  lover  of  Polignac  and  of 
Lamballe,  but  the  hour  of  awakening  had  not  yet 
sounded  and  with  senses  dormant  Marie  Louise  coldly 
awaited  the  birth  of  pleasure. 

Later  Marie  Louise  sacrificed  everything  to  her  pas- 
sion, reason,  will,  loyalty,  and  for  her  insatiable  thirst 
for  love  she  was  a  traitor  to  her  husband,  she  abandoned 
her  son,  renounced  her  throne,  forgot  her  prudence,  de- 
based her  name. 

One  day  while  walking  in  the  Park  of  Schoenbrunn, 
she  saw  in  the  centre  of  a  fountain  a  pretty  blue  flower 
rearing  its  modest  head  amid  a  wealth  of  aquatic  plants. 
Fruitlessly  she  tried  to  reach  the  tiny  shrub  and  impru- 
dently resting  her  foot  upon  the  mossy  edge  of  the 
basin  she  leaned  forward  with  her  parasol  to  draw  it 
towards  her.  But  the  treacherous  mold  beneath  her 
foot  gave  way,  and  with  a  cry  she  fell  into  the  water. 

The  woman  with  her  ran  frightened  towards  the 
palace  for  aid,  and  the  white  swans  disturbed  in  their 
placid  contentment  fled  in  an  opposite  direction,  the 
Princess  was  helpless  and  cried  aloud  for  help.  Sud- 
denly she  was  seized  by  strong  arms  and  lifted  from  the 
danger  and  seated  dripping  on  the  grassy  lawn. 

A  man,  elegant  in  his  person  and  in  his  dress,  unknown 
to  her  and  to  her  maid  who  had  returned  at  the  sight 
of  the  rescue,  stood  before  them,  offering  his  respectful 
salutation  and  wringing  the  water  from  his  saturated 
clothes.  Marie  Louise  held  her  hand  towards  him, 
and  said: 

"Thank  you  very  much,  without  you  I  think  I  should 
have  been  lost." 

The  unknown,  without  making  any  response,  kissed 
the  hand  he  held  within  his  own. 

"And  you  have  done  all  this  for  one  you  do  not 
know/'  said  Marie  Louise,  for  the  attitude  of  her  de- 
liverer disposed  her  favorably  towards  him. 

The  Princess  regarded  the  gentleman  with  interest 


and  curiosity;  he  was  richly  dressed,  wore  a  powdered 
wig,  silk  stockings  and  a  jewelled  sword,  and  without 
hesitation  had  thrown  himself  into  the  water  which  at 
this  season  was  quite  cold.  As  she  looked  at  him,  he 


offered   her,   with   graceful   politeness,   the   little   blue 
flower  that  had  been  the  cause  of  her  mishap. 

Marie  Louise,  surprised  and  charmed,  struck  perhaps 
by  one  of  those  secret  and  certain  presentiments  which 
in  love  precede  the  avowal  of  passion  and  of  tenderness, 
regarded  with  lively  attention  this  cavalier  who  after 
having  thrown  himself  into  the  water  to  rescue  a  life, 


432     

had  not  hesitated  to  plunge  in  again  to  gratify  a  desire. 
She  gave  no  attention  to  the  disorder  of  his  toilette  and 
it  was,  indeed,  almost  ludicrous  in  its  condition,  his 
peruque  was  twined  with  weeds  from  the  fountain  and 
his  hat  was  running  little  rivulets  through  its  involun- 
tary bath. 

The  Archduchess  took  the  flower  from  his  trembling 
hand  and  placed  it  to  her  lips  as  though  she  would  read 
in  its  mute  petals  the  secret  of  the  unknown. 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,"  she  said,  "  will  you  tell  me  your 
name  ?  The  Emperor,  my  father,  will  much  desire  the 
acquaintance  of  a  gentleman  who  has  not  hesitated  to 
throw  himself  into  the  water  to  satisfy  one  of  my 
caprices." 

The  gentleman  blushing  with  pleasure,  replied  : 

"I  am  the  Comte  de  Neipperg,  Consul-General  in  the 
service  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor.  I  have  an  audi- 
ence with  His  Majesty  for  this  morning,  and  I  pray 
Your  Highness  will  have  the  goodness  to  excuse  me 
that  I  may  return  to  my  apartments  and  resume  a  suit- 
able costume  to  appear  before  the  Emperor." 

"  Go,  Comte,  I  excuse  you  for  my  father,  and  when 
he  learns  from  me  the  cause  of  your  delay  you  may 
consider  he  has  pardoned  you  in  advance  " 

And  since  she  had  met  Neipperg  she  had  carried  with 
her  an  unextinguishable  memory,  an  impression  as  pro- 
found as  a  wounded  heart,  all  springing  from  this  unin- 
tentional meeting  on  the  borders  of  the  treacherous 
fountain. 

"  No,  my  dear  daughter,  Keisu  will  not  be  your  com- 
panion," the  Emperor  continued,  as  he  was  about  to 
leave  the  room.  "  I  have  arranged  to  place  at  your  dis- 
posal a  master  of  the  horse,  an  officer  of  honor,  who 
shall  always  be  at  your  command,  who  will  by  his  pres- 
ence remind  you  of  your  country,  who  will  tell  you  of 
your  father  and  the  incidents  occurring  here,  who  will 
keep  you  informed  of  our  affairs,  a  gentleman  of  posi- 


433     

tion  and  influence,  worthy  in  every  way  to  enjoy  this 
confidential  post.  Don't  you  know  who  he  is?" 

"  I  am  exceedingly  obliged,  my  father,  for  the  interest 
you  manifest,"  the  young  Archduchess  responded,  tran- 
quilly, "  but  I  dislike  to  impose  upon  any  countryman 
of  mine  so  great  an  obligation,  and  I  know  I  shall  regret 
my  little  Keisu." 

"  Your  new  officer  begins  his  services  to-morrow,  my 
daughter,  because  the  Prince  of  Neufchatel  has  ar- 
rived." 

"  Always  at  your  orders,  father." 

"  But  you  have  not  asked  the  name  of  the  gentleman," 
said  the  Emperor,  a  little  annoyed  at  the  indifference  of 
his  daughter. 

"  That  is  true  ;  what  is  his  name  ?  " 

"  Comte  de  Neipperg ;  he  has  long  been  in  our  serv- 
ice and  was  formerly  accredited  to  Marie  Antoinette. 
His  age  and  character  indicate  an  excellent  cavalier 
and  I  hope  you  will  be  satisfied  with  my  choice." 

"  Yes,  my  father,"  Marie  Louise  replied,  delighted  to 
again  meet  the  gallant  unknown. 

LVIII. 

THE    IMPERIAL    MARRIAGE. 

ON  the  i  ith  of  March,  1810,  Marie  Louise  was  espoused 
by  proxy,  at  Vienna.  The  Archduke  Charles,  in  this 
representative  ceremony,  acted  for  the  Imperial  husband. 

Berthier,  in  great  pomp,  left  Vienna  with  the  new 
Empress.  At  Brannen,  which  marked  the  limits  of  the 
Austrian  States,  the  ladies  of  the  palace  and  the  German 
officers  left  the  royal  party  and  the  Emperor  Francis, 
who  had  travelled  thus  far  incognito,  embraced  his 
daughter  with  great  tenderness  and  every  indication  of 
deep  feeling,  while  she  remained  passively  insensible  to 


434     

any  exhibition  of  grief  that  would  appear  to  come  natu- 
rally at  such  a  moment,  and  while  the  tears  coursed  down 
the  cheeks  of  this  monarch  who,  it  might  be  thought, 
would  have  been  hardened  through  suffering  twenty 
defeats,  Marie  Louise  was  impassive  and  indifferent. 

The  Archduchess  had  evinced  no  regret  in  leaving 
the  palace  wherein  had  been  passed  the  years  of  her 
childhood;  her  eyes  were  dry  when  she  parted  from  her 
father  who  loved  her,  but  whom  she  never  loved.  The 
only  true  sentiment  she  showed  in  the  course  of  her 
trip  was  when  she  referred  to  her  little  dog. 

The  Queen  of  Naples,  sister  of  Napoleon,  had  come 
here  to  meet  Marie  Louise  and  to  accompany  her  on  the 
remainder  of  her  journey,  which  from  this  point  was  a 
progress  of  ovations,  of  bouquets  offered  by  the  munic- 
ipalities, of  triumphal  arches,  speeches,  banquets,  and 
bursts  of  music.  Aroused  by  these  attentions  that  were 
entirely  new  to  her,  Marie  Louise  was  delighted  with 
her  trip;  she  showed  no  desire  to  hasten  so  as  to  meet 
her  husband,  no  more  than  she  felt  any  regret  for  her 
family,  her  country  that  she  had  left  with  no  knowledge 
of  when  she  should  return. 

Undemonstrative  as  an  image,  apathetic  as  a  Hindoo 
divinity,  she  passed  through  her  series  of  triumphs  with- 
out one  amiable  word  to  respond  to  the  compliments  of 
the  officials,  without  one  smile  to  distribute  among  the 
people  that  pressed  about  her. 

From  time  to  time  she  turned  gaily  to  address  a  few 
words  to  Neipperg,  who  followed  in  a  carriage  with  his 
escort. 

Napoleon  was  impatiently  counting  the  days  and 
hours  ;  he  was  consumed  by  a  fever  of  anxiety  and  was 
in  a  nervous  condition  that  impelled  him  to  commit 
numberless  follies.  He  denounced  the  official  pro- 
grammes, the  receptions,  the  ceremonies.  He  passed 
no  moment  that  was  not  brightened  by  thoughts  of  the 
approaching  Princess  ;  courier  followed  courier  in  er- 


435     

rands  to  the  royal  cortege  and  to  return  with  the  latest 
information  of  their  progress.  Chamberlains  and  spe- 
cial envoys  were  daily  dispatched  to  assure  the  new  Em- 
press of  her  welcome  and  the  impatience  of  the  lover 
who  was  awaiting  her. 

Thinking  of  the  slightest  means  by  which  he  could 
bring  pleasure  to  the  heart  of  the  Archduchess,  Napo- 
leon had  ordered  the  pictures  showing  victories  by  the 
French  over  the  Austrians  and  which  hung  in  the 
palace  galleries,  to  be  covered  with  draperies  so  as  to 
conceal  their  figures  feeling,  possibly,  that  the  daugh- 
ter of  Francis  would  be  pained  in  viewing  the  defeats 
of  her  father. 

Finally  he  arranged  with  great  care  the  details  of  the 
marriage  fetes,  the  ceremonies  to  be  observed,  which 
were  to  be  in  every  respect  similar  to  those  at  the  union 
of  Marie  Antoinette  and  the  Dauphin. 

He  was  passionately  in  love  with  Marie  Louise  with- 
out any  other  acquaintance  with  her  than  portraits  that 
probably  were  inexact ;  but  his  passion  was  rather  called 
forth  by  the  aristocratic  blood  of  the  demoiselle.  He 
could  not  dissimulate  his  joy,  his  happiness,  his  triumph, 
that  he,  —  poor  Corsican  whose  mother  had  gone  to 
market  with  a  basket  on  her  arm,  who  had  known  pov- 
erty, almost  starvation, — that  he  should  be  about  to  wed 
an  Archduchess,  daughter  and  granddaughter  of  three 
Emperors.  .  An  Archduchess  was  more  than  a  woman 
to  him — she  was  an  earthly  divinity.  He  felt  God 
had  especially  arranged  this  marriage  ;  he  imagined 
everything  that  was  extravagant ;  this  foolish  genius, 
so  strong,  usually  master  of  himself  and  of  others,  so 
imposing  and  so  terrible  at  times,  was  now  meek,  silly, 
like  a  small  boy  that  has  been  given  a  German  doll. 

It  was  perhaps  the  only  moment  of  his  prodigious 
career  that  Napoleon  the  Great  appeared  to  be  small. 

He  excused  his  feebleness  by  contending  that  love 
ennobled  all,  elevated  all,  and  that  this  truthful,  pro- 


436 

found  but  ridiculous  passion  made  all  humanity  forget 
its  reason.  Such  argument  indeed  appears  fallacious 
in  the  face  of  later  history,  when  we  know  with  what 
complacency  Madame  Bonaparte  consented  to  be  known 
as  Madame  de  Neipperg.  This  sentimental  passion  Napo- 
leon declared  we  all  were  liable  to  feel,  brings  him  from 
his  pedestal  and  shows  htm  in  his  love  for  the  Austrian 
to  be  the  same  enthusiast  as  is  the  college  student  in  his 
love  for  an  unattainable  actress.  But  Napoleon's  love 
cost  him  more  dearly  and  cost  France  far  beyond  the 
value  of  its  lavish  display  in  welcoming  this  indifferent 
stranger.  The  maledictions  of  the  French  people  have 
long  since  drowned  the  smiles  and  flowers  that  greeted 
this  immoral  Empress  who  opened  her  arms  to  Neip- 
perg, and  Paris  to  the  Cossacks. 

A  special  order  had  been  given  providing  for  the  first 
meeting  of  their  majesties.  It  was  between  Compiegne 
and  Soissons  that  the  Imperial  interview  was  to  take 
place. 

At  two  leagues  from  Soissons  a  large  plain  had  been 
selected  and  two  pavilions  erected  side  by  side  protec- 
ted from  intrusion  by  a  strong  barrier,  and  here  the 
meeting  was  to  be  had.  The  Emperor  left  for  Com- 
piegne at  the  moment  when  Marie  Louise  was  approach- 
ing it,  he  was  accompanied  by  princes  and  princesses, 
by  the  great  officers  of  his  household,  riding  in  five 
carriages  and  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  the  National 
Guard.  It  was  arranged  that  the  Emperor  and  Empress 
should  leave  their  carriages  and  meet  in  the  tents,  where 
they  might  enjoy  their  first  embrace.  Then  they  would 
ride  together  in  the  same  carriage  to  Compiegne  where 
the  authorities  had  made  elaborate  preparations  for  a 
grand  reception. 

But  all  this  was  upset  by  the  impetuosity  of  Napo- 
leon; the  lover  overcame  the  sovereign,  he  was  guilty  of 
an  indiscretion  that  was  truly  inexcusable. 

When  he  learned   the   Empress   had   left   Gitry   for 


1 437 

Soissons,  he  could  restrain  himself  no  longer;  he  entered 
a  carriage  with  Murat  and  hastened  before  his  escort  to 
greet  his  wife,  wishing  to  come  upon  her  unawares  and 
unknown. 

They  were  then  separated  by  fifteen  leagues  and  it 
was  at  a  small  village  known  as  Courcelles  that  Napo- 
leon came  within  sight  of  the  Archduchess's  cortege. 
At  once  upon  its  coming  into  view  Napoleon  jumped 
from  his  vehicle  and  hastened  towards  that  of  Marie 
Louise,  which  he  found  to  contain  his  sister  and  Berthier 
and  he  entered  without  delay,  at  the  same  instant 
overwhelming  his  bride  with  impulsive  compliments 
and  caresses  that  occasioned  her  the  liveliest  surprise. 

He  directed  the  postillions  to  urge  their  horses  for- 
ward and  reach  Compiegne  as  quickly  as  possible.  They 
galloped  ahead  and  passed  at  breakneck  speed  before 
the  tent  erected  for  the  serious  purpose  of  the  solemn 
meeting  of  the  Imperial  couple.  They  made  no  stop, 
which  caused  the  greatest  disappointment  to  the  assem- 
bled officials,  Court  attaches  and  enormous  crowds  of 
loyal  subjects  gathered  from  the  surrounding  country. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  on  the  night  of  March  28th  that 
Napoleon  and  Marie  arrived  at  the  Palace  of  Compiegne. 
The  Empress  found  her  rooms  elaborately  prepared  for 
her  reception,  with  all  the  comforts  and  elegances  that 
the  resources  of  the  city  could  furnish  and  the  thoughts 
of  an  admiring  people  could  suggest. 

Napoleon  occupied  apartments  at  the  Hotel  de  la 
Chancellerie. 

The  civil  marriage  was  fixed  for  the  first  of  April,  and 
on  the  second  of  April  the  religious  ceremony  was  per- 
formed in  the  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame. 

That  evening  Napoleon  and  Marie  Louise  sat  long  at 
their  private  supper  and  it  seemed  as  though  here  might 
be  a  responsive  spark  kindled  in  the  calm  Marie  Louise 
in  return  for  the  lavishness  of  Napoleon's  attentions. 


—     438 

The  ladies  of  the  Court  were  stupefied  the  following 
morning  to  find  Comte  de  Neipperg  in  the  ante-chamber 
of  the  Empress,  seated  upon  a  fauteuil,  weeping  with 
rage. 


LIX 


NAPOLEON  S    JEALOUSY. 

DID  Marie  Louise  ever  love  Napoleon  ? 

It  is  possible  that  in  the  first  months  of  their  union, 
brought  about  by  the  Austrian  Court  as  a  matter  of  di- 
plomacy, the  young  princess  having  tasted  the  pleasures 
of  marriage,  may  have  entertained  some  such  feeling, 
but  later  not  only  did  she  forget  her  honeymoon  but  she 
had  no  scruples  in  confessing  that  Napoleon  had  always 
been  indifferent  to  her.  Here  is  how  she  received  news 
of  his  death,  the  final  catastrophe  making  her  the 
widow  of  an  Emperor  : 

A  courier  brought  to  her  at  Parma  this  brief  despatch 
from  her  father  : 

"  General  Bonaparte  died  at  Saint  Helena  on  the  5th 
of  May,  1821,  at  forty-five  minutes  past  five  in  the  even- 
ing, after  a  long  and  distressing  illness.  I  send  you,  my 
dear  child,  my  affectionate  consolation.  I  join  my 
prayers  to  yours  for  the  repose  of  his  soul  and  I  raise 
my  voice  to  God  that  He  will  preserve  Your  Majesty 
under  His  holy  care.  FRANCIS." 

When  she  wrote  her  father  acknowledging  the  re- 
ceipt of  his  dispatch  and  the  news  it  contained,  her 
words  were  : 

"I  confess  I  am  deeply  wounded.  While  I  have  never 
had  a  lively  sentiment  of  any  sort  for  him,  I  cannot 
forget  he  is  the  father  of  my  son  and  far  from 
neglecting  me,  as  the  world  has  accused  him,  he  always 
showed  me  the  greatest  regard  and  kindness  and  his 
sole  object  seemed  to  be  to  rid  me  of  the  idea  he 


439 

married  me  for  political  reasons.  I  am  then  very  sad 
and  yet  I  am  gratified  he  has  ended  his  unhappy 
existence  as  a  Christian." 

These  cold  sentiments  do  not  indicate  a  very  cheerful 
remembrance  of  the  hours  of  their  intimacy,  or  of  the 
pleasures  in  their  wedded  experience.  She  had  married 
to  gratify  a  vain  desire,  he  had  united  himself  with  the 
daughter  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria  wishing  for  children 
that  could  claim  an  archduchess  for  their  mother,  but 
once  married  he  became  a  slave  to  love  and  it  was  really 
the  wife  for  whom  he  had  affection.  He  exercised  his 
ingenuity  to  please  her,  he  multiplied  his  presents,  he 
was  prodigal  in  his  attentions.  Marie  Louise  received 
it  all  with  haughty  indifference  as  though  it  were  a  trib- 
ute due  to  her.  One  single  attention  only  that  Napo- 
leon could  show  her  excited  response  and  called  forth  a 
joyous  recognition. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  despair  Marie  Louise  felt  in 
separating  from  her  little  dog,  Keisu.  The  aversion  of 
Napoleon  for  these  animals  about  the  palace  was  what 
made  it  necessary  for  her  to  abandon  her  King  Charles, 
but  Berthier,  having  received  the  confidences  of  the 
Archduchess  and  being  acquainted  with  the  disappoint- 
ment she  felt  had  arranged,  if  Napoleon  would  consent, 
to  agreeably  surprise  the  young  Empress.  He  had 
secretly  on  the  day  of  their  departure  from  Vienna,  and 
after  Marie  Louise  had  bestowed  her  final  caress  upon 
Keisu,  put  the  little  animal  in  a  traveling  basket  and 
carried  it  to  Paris. 

There  Berthier  reporting  to  the  Emperor  what  he 
had  done,  apologized  for  the  intrusion  and  asked 
whether  he  might  present  it  to  the  Empress.  Far  from 
being  provoked,  the  Emperor  commended  Berthier  upon 
his  thoughtfulness  and  at  once  directed  that  a  pretty 
basket  of  rose  colored  silk  should  be  made  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  dog.  When  this  was  finished  he  adroitly 
directed  the  conversation  to  the  King  Charles  that  had 


—     446     — — 

been  left  behind  in  Vienna,  and  as  the  young  wife  clearly 
showed  her  feeling,  he  opened  the  door  and  said  in  his 
lively  tone,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  good  humor: 

"  Don't  cry,  Louise,  here  is  your  little  companion  found 
again  !  " 

Marie  Louise  seized  Keisu  and  covered  her  with 
caresses,  the  first  evidence  of  tenderness  she  had  dis- 
played, rewarding  the  Emperor  with  an  embrace  almost 
as  ardent,  and  Napoleon  rested  quite  content  for  the 
balance  of  the  day  under  a  love  reflected  upon  him  in 
the  passionate  affection  aroused  by  the  King  Charles. 

Not  only  for  his  Louise,  as  he  called  her,  had  he 
struggled  to  correct  his  plebian  taste  or  overcome  his 
aversion  for  dogs,  but  he  had  corrected  his  most  invet- 
erate faults  and  particularly  his  unhappy  habit  of  eating 
and  drinking  with  such  gross  haste.  Marie  Louise  had 
a  vigorous  appetite  and  she  remained  at  the  table  far 
beyond  anything  Napoleon  had  ever  been  reconciled  to, 
but  even  this  he  recognized  and  resigned  himself  to  it 
most  happily.  At  forty-one  years  of  age  he  changed 
the  habits  of  his  youth;  he  adopted  a  gaiety  to  which 
he  had  always  been  a  stranger,  he  organized  entertain- 
ments, made  up  garden  parties,  amused-his  wife  with  all 
sorts  of  games  and  in  the  evenings  he  gave  fetes  and 
pleasant  entertainments  in  the  park  of  Saint  Cloud. 

Marie  Louise  wished  to  ride,  and  he  neglected  for  the 
first  time  in  his  career  the  affairs  of  his  country,  the 
orders  he  should  have  dictated,  the  reports  he  should 
have  studied,  the  details  of  the  administration  of  this 
vast' Empire  that  always  passed  beneath  his  eyes,  merely 
to  gallop  through  the  park  by  the  side  of  his  young 
amazon. 

Unhappily  complications  arose  in  the  political  world 
that  forced  him  to  interrupt  these  pleasant  hours  and 
to  devote  his  time  to  the  labors  of  his  country.  To  him 
it  meant  a  heavy  heart,  to  Marie  Louise — indifference. 

When  Napoleon  was  thus  deprived  of  the  society  of 


the  Empress  in  her  daily  recreations,  drawing  bridle 
and  returning  to  the  palace  and  to  the  laborious  duties 
of  his  exalted  post,  she  would  say  in  her  unruffled 
tones: 

"I  cannot  bear  your  disputes  with  Savaryand  Talley- 
rand; go  and  give  attention  to  your  soldiers  and  the 
police,  I  will  take  a  few  more  turns  around  the  park. 
And,  oh,  don't  be  uneasy,  nothing  will  harm  me,  Neip- 
perg  will  accompany  me." 

With  a  pleasant  smile  the  Emperor  would  leave  her 
attaching  no  unworthy  thought  to  the  presence  of  Neip- 
perg.  This  attendant  on  the  Empress,  who  was  appoint- 
ed by  her  father,  was  a  sort  of  tutor  selected  by  Fran- 
cis II.,  wherein  no  thought  of  an  intrigue  could  certainly 
arise.  The  age  of  Neipperg  and  his  subordinate  posi- 
tion forbade  any  suspicion  in  the  mind  of  the  Emperor. 

The  jealousy  of  Napoleon  and  the  dismissal  of  Neip- 
perg burst  upon  them  both  with  stupefying  suddenness. 

Napoleon,  accompanying  the  Empress  on  horseback 
through  the  beautiful  roads  of  St.  Cloud,  was  checked 
at  a  turn  of  the  way  by  the  tall  figure  of  a  man  stand- 
ing on  the  edge  of  the  grass  and  holding  aloft  an  enor- 
mous cane  as  though  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  Im- 
perial couple. 

The  man  was  a  giant  in  stature,  wore  an  old,  faded 
blue  coat,  but  upon  his  breast  there  glittered  and 
sparkled  the  brilliant  star  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  the 
unspeaking  evidence  of  its  wearer's  bravery.  His  left 
arm  was  held  behind  his  back  and  his  right  extended, 
the  hand  grasping  the  enormous  cane  adorned  with  a 
silver  head.  The  man  in  this  half  civil,  half  military 
costume  was  accompanied  by  a  woman  clothed  entirely 
in  black. 

Napoleon  and  Marie  Louise  were  followed  by  Comte 
de  Neipperg  and  the  faithful  Roustan,  in  his  Mameluke 
costume,  with  turban,  Turkish  pantaloons,  scimitar  and 
pistols  protruding  from  his  belt.  Napoleon  was  the 


442     

soul  of  bravery  and  no  emergency,  however  threaten- 
ing, ever  overbalanced  the  perfect  repose  he  felt  in  his 
destiny  and  in  his  own  ability  to  overcome  his  enemies. 

But  when  he  rode  through  the  country  with  the  Em- 
press he  always  took  the  precaution  of  having  Roustan 
near  at  hand,  fully  armed  to  come  to  his  aid  if  neces- 
sary. 

Napoleon  pulled  up  his  horse  and  looked  sharply  at 
the  tall  figure  which  stood  before  him  ;  he  saw  nothing 
in  the  attitude  that  was  threatening,  nothing  that 
prompted  him  to  call  Roustan,  and  as  the  Emperor  re- 
garded him,  the  man  quickly  brought  his  cane  to  a 
"  present  arms  "  and  cried: 

"  Long  live  the  Emperor  !  " 

Napoleon  said  : 

"  Come  here  !  " 

"Yes,  sire!" 

"  I  have  seen  you  before,"  said  the  Emperor  quickly. 

"  Yes,  sire,  frequently  ! " 

"  Were  you  not  the  drum-major  of  the  First  Grenadiers 
of  my  guard  ? " 

"  I  was,  sire  !  " 

"  And  why  are  you  no  longer  ?  " 

"My  arm,  sire.    A  Biscyen  unfortunately  smashed  it." 

"  Where  was  that  ?  " 

"  In  the  Island  of  Lobau." 

"  Ah,  that  was  a  terrible  battle.  Aspern!  It  was  the 
grave  of  many  of  my  bravest  men,  it  was  there  I  lost 
Lannes.  You  served  under  the  Duke  of  Montebello, 
my  friend,"  said  the  Emperor  in  a  saddened  voice,  be- 
cause the  memories  of  the  battle  recalled  the  death  of 
his  best  friend  and  always  was  a  subject  to  him  of  the 
deepest  grief. 

"  Sire,  I  had  the  honor  of  having  him  behind  me  at 
Berlin,  when,  with  cane  high  in  the  air,  I  was  the  first 
to  enter,  at  the  head  of  the  Grenadiers,  into  the  capital 
of  the  Prussians." 


"  443          ~" 

Napoleon  laughed  heartily. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  recollect.     And  I  decorated  you." 

"  You  did,  sire,  personally." 

"  On  the  evening  of  Jena;  you  had  taken  all  those 
prisoners." 

"  A  squadron  of  red  dragoons." 

"  And  all  by  yourself  !  " 

"  With  my  cane!  And  then  I  knew  you  were  in  the 
vicinity,  sire  !  " 

"  You  are  a  skillful  flatterer,  certainly;  and  I  remem- 
ber that  your  name  was  Violette." 

"  It  is,  sire." 

"  Good,"  says  the  Emperor,  pinching  Violette's  ear,  as 
was  his  humorous  custom.  "  Now  what  can  I  do  for 
you  ?  " 

Violette  motioned  to  the  young  woman  in  mourning, 
who  stood  some  steps  away,  and  said: 

"  Sire,  it  is  a  petition." 

The  Emperor  with  a  movement  of  impatience  and  in 
an  irritated  tone,  said: 

"  What  does  the  woman  want  ?  A  pension  ?  What 
right  has  she  to  it  ?  Is  she  the  widow  of  one  of  my 
soldiers?" 

Violette  without  response  signalled  to  the  woman  to 
approach,  and  she  trembling,  her  eyes  red  with  weep- 
ing, sobbed  : 

"Sire,  I  have  come  to  demand  justice,  mercy." 

"  Justice  you  shall  have.  Mercy  is  different.  What 
is  it  that  agitates  you  so  ? " 

"  Sire,  read  this,  I  pray  you,"  and  she  extended  a 
paper  to  the  Emperor.  Napoleon  took  the  document 
and  glancing  at  the  signature,  he  cried  : 

"  General  Malet !  This  is  from  General  Malet  !  A 
Jacobin,  a  conspirator,  a  traitor.  What  does  he  ask  of 
me  ?  I  should  have  him  shot  for  his  schemes  and  his 
infamies,  instead  of  that  I  have  been  content  to  send 
him  to  Saint  Pelagic,  and  there  he  will  stay." 


444 


"  If  Your  Majesty  will  be  good  enough  to  read,"  said 
the  woman. 

Napoleon  rapidly  threw  his  eye  over  the  lines  upon 
the  paper,  grasping  the  meaning,  as  he  always  did,  of 
each  paragraph  almost  before  he  had  reached  it.  It 
was  a  letter  written  in  humble  terms  and  coming  from 


General  Malet  who  had  been  arrested  two  years  before 
together  with  a  number  of  other  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphes,  surprised  at  one  of  their  meetings  by  the 
treachery  of  a  member  they  had  trusted.  This  is  a  por- 
tion of  what  Malet's  letter  contained  : 

"  Sire,  after  having  remained  silent  in  regard  to  this 
unhappy  affair,  I  now  have  the  honor  of  writing  Your 
Majesty  in  an  attempt  to  make  clear  my  innocence.  I 
have  resolved  to  await  patiently  the  act  of  justice  and 
clemency  that  will  restore  my  liberty.  Two  years  have 
now  passed,  sire,  and  I  am  still  imprisoned  as  a  criminal 


445     

for  having  repeated,  perhaps  indiscreetly,  but  certainly 
innocently,  the  comments  that  have  brought  upon  my 
head  this  terrible  suspicion  under  which  I  am  now 
resting." 

Here  followed  in  in  extenso  a  review  of  the  services 
General  Malet  had  rendered  to  his  country,  and  the 
petitioner  called  special  attention  to  the  constancy  with 
which  he  clung  to  Napoleon  on  the  i8th  Brumaire. 
Then  followed  an  enumeration  of  the  disgraces  Malet 
had  suffered,  the  letter  concluding  in  these  words  : 

"With  these  misfortunes,  sire,  there  must  come  desola- 
tion into  the  soul  of  the  most  courageous,  but  one 
thought  consoles  me  and  sustains  my  courage:  it  is  that 
the  most  beautiful  attribute  of  a  monarchy  is  the  pos- 
session of  a  monarch  who  can  redress  by  a  single  word 
the  unmerited  sufferings  of  so  many  unfortunates.  I 
await  that  word,  sire,  which  shows  your  justice  and  your 
goodness,  to  obtain  my  liberty,  and  as  I  have  the  regret 
to  think  that  my  services  can  perhaps  never  more  be  ac- 
ceptable to  Your  Majesty,  1  would  ask  that  you  order 
your  Minister  of  War  to  permit  me  to  retire  with  my 
family  to  the  Isle  of  France  where  I  may  live  unknown. 
I  am,  with  profound  respect  for  Your  Majesty,  your  very 
humble,  very  obedient  servant,  GENERAL  MALET." 

The  Emperor  murmured: 

"  Those  are  very  good  sentiments,  and  I  should  like 
to  think  that  the  repentance  of  General  Malet  is  sincere, 
but  if  I  give  him  his  liberty  what  will  be  the  result,  it 
would  set  a  deplorable  example;  it  will  not  fail  to 
create  some  suspicion  in  the  army."  The  Emperor 
thought  for  a  moment,  and  turning  to  the  woman,  said 
aloud:  "All  this,  madame,  is  asking  permission  for 
General  Malet  to  leave  Saint  Pelagic;  very  well,  I  will 
have  him  put  in  the  hospital  for  a  time,  and  we-  will 
see  how  he  gets  on  there,  after  that  I  will  look  into 
the  matter  further.  Are  you  satisfied  with  this,  Vio- 
lette  ? " 

Napoleon  turned  towards  the  drum-major,  as  he 
put  the  spurs  to  his  horse  and  started  off  to  overtake 


446     

the  Empress,  who  had  ridden  ahead,  accompanied  by 
Comte  de  Neipperg.  But  Violette  stopped  him  with 
another  expression: 

"Sire,  you  have  accorded  mercy,  now  I  ask  for  justice." 

"  Speak  !  "  answered  Napoleon. 

"  Well,  my  Emperor,  this  woman  is  a  soldier." 

"You  are  crazy  !     What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"Sire,  she  has  make  several  campaigns  with  me;  she 
is  called  the  pretty  sergeant." 

The  Emperor,  with  a  gesture  of  surprise,  answered  : 

"  The  pretty  sergeant  !  I  know  that  name.  Come 
here,  madame  :  I  have  seen  you  before." 

"  Yes,  sire,  a  long  time  ago,  in  Paris,  at  the  Hotel  de 
Metz.  You  then  did  us  a  favor  ;  I  told  you  of  Marcel, 
who  was  a  major's  aide  at  Valence,  and  with  your  in- 
fluence he  was  transferred  to  Verdun." 

"  Marcel !  I  know  that  name  very  well,  too.  Where 
is  he,  this  major's  aide,  Marcel?  " 

"  Sire,  he  was  arrested  with  General  Malet ;  he  is  im- 
prisoned at  Ham." 

"  He  conspired  against  me,  did  he  ?" 

"  Marcel  was  never  an  enemy  of  Your  Majesty,  but 
having  discovered  that  a  man  whom  he  believed  to  be 
as  good  a  Frenchman  as  he  is  himself  was  conspiring  to 
restore  France  to  the  princes,  he  denounced  this  agent 
of  the  Count  of  Provence." 

"  What  is  the  name  of  this  emissary  ?  Do  you  know 
it?" 

"  Sire,  he  was  Marquis  de  Louvigne." 

"  And  he  was  not  arrested  ?  " 

'•  He  is  at  liberty,  sire  ;  it  is  Marcel  who  remains  a 
prisoner." 

"  I  shall  inquire  into  what  you  have  told  me,  madame. 
You  know  to  whom  Marcel  communicated  these  proj- 
ects of  the  agent  of  the  Bourbons?" 

"  To  the  Minister  of  Police,  sire,  to  the  Duke 
d'Otranto." 


447 

"  Fouche  has  said  nothing  to  me  of  this  ;  he  has  not 
told  me  of  any  interview  with  the  Marquis  de  Louvigne, 
or  of  any  plot.  It  is  well,  madame  ;  if  these  things  are 
as  you  tell  me,  you  may  rest  assured  I  shall  see  justice 
done." 

The  Emperor,  agitated  and  angered,  turned  his  horse 
in  the  direction  taken  by  the  Empress  ;  Violette  saluted 
with  his  cane  and  Napoleon  rapidly  passed  out  of  sight. 

The  Emperor  rode  rapidly  through  the  various  paths, 
looking  in  every  direction  for  Marie  Louise  ;  no  trace 
of  her  was  to  be  had  until  he  noticed  fresh  marks  of 
horses'  hoofs  in  a  little  bridle  path  that  led  amongst 
the  bushes  lining  the  broad  road  ;  the  shrubbery  was 
trampled  down  as  if  it  had  but  lately  been  invaded, 
and  the  Emperor,  startled  and  anxious,  asked  himself 
what  could  be  the  meaning  of  this  divergence  from  the 
regular  track  and  whether  an  accident  could  have  hap- 
pened or  whether  her  horse  had  become  unmanageable 
and  dashed  into  the  woods.  Thus  thinking,  the  Em- 
peror, followed  by  Roustan,  plunged  into  the  bushes. 

A  few  yards  from  the  entrance  a  riderless  horse  was 
tethered  to  a  tree  and  the  Emperor  recognized  it  as 
belonging  to  his  wife.  The  branches  were  here  so 
dense  as  to  make  the  progress  of  the  animal  difficult. 
Napoleon  jumped  to  the  ground  parting  the  bushes 
with  his  hands  and  continued  his  way.  A  few  yards 
further  on  he  came  upon  a  little  clearing  that  contained 
a  rustic  kiosque,  from  which  he  heard  the  indistinct 
murmurs  of  voices  and  detected  the  slow  words  of  the 
Empress  and  the  deeper  tones  of  a  man. 

Angered  in  a  moment,  a  thousand  thoughts  running 
through  his  mind,  a  vague  suspicion  inflaming  him, 
Napoleon  dashed  forward  and  appeared  in  the  doorway 
of  the  kiosque,  where  he  found  the  Empress,  Neip- 
perg  seated  a  respectful  distance  from  her  talking 
earnestly. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  monsieur.     Leave!     The 


448 


Empress  has  no  wish  to  remain  in  tete-a-tete  with  you 
at  this  place  any  longer,"  Napoleon  exclaimed. 

Neipperg    bowed    and    without    a    word    withdrew. 


Marie   Louise   looked    curiously   at   her  husband   and 

laughing,  she  tranquilly  said: 

"Well,  I  declare,  Napoleon,  I  believe  you  are  jealous!" 
Neipperg   received  a  handsome  present  a  few  days 

later,  and   with  it  an  order  for  his  return  to  Austria. 

The  day  of  his  departure  the  Empress  under  some  pre- 


449 

text  remained  in  her  room  where  she  wept  bitterly,  and 
at  the  moment  the  equerry  stepped  into  his  carriage  a 
maid  handed  him  a  small  box  which  he  opened  with 
emotion.  The  box  contained  a  ring  bearing  a  little  blue 
enameled  flower  the  counterpart  of  that  he  had  snatched 
from  the  fountain  basin  in  the  park  of  Schoenbrunn, 
one  of  those  little  flowers  that  are  known  among  lovers 
as  the  "  forget-me-not." 

Neipperg  placed  the  ring  upon  his  finger,  pressed  the 
flower  to  his  heart,  and  stepping  into  the  carriage  he 
threw  a  discreet  kiss  in  the  direction  of  the  room  occu- 
pied by  the  Empress.  Marie  Louise  standing  behind 
the  curtain  followed  Neipperg  with  her  eyes  so  long  as 
he  remained  in  sight,  and  received  the  kiss  he  threw  her 
and  it  delighted  her  heart. 

LX. 

TOUCHES   DISGRACE. 

THE  Emperor  had  shut  himself  in  his  study  to  make 
himself  familiar  with  the  brief  concerning  the  Marquis 
de  Louvigne  which  he  caused  to  be  brought  to  him. 
Cambaceres,  the  Lord  High  Chancellor,  helped  by  His 
Majesty's  order  in  the  examination  of  the  facts. 

The  words  of  Rene,  the  suspicion  that  haunted  him 
of  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  Minister  of  Police  served 
to  confirm  the  alarm  raised  in  his  mind  by  the  military 
conspiracies.  He  knew  of  the  action  of  the  Count  of 
Provence  in  London,  but  Fouche,  every  time  he  was 
questioned,  replied  with  such  assurance  of  no  danger 
to  be  apprehended  on  that  side,  that  he  ended  by  for- 
getting those  who,  in  foreign  parts,  prepared  a  restora- 
tion then  judged  to  be  impossible  as  well  as  unlikely. 

The  danger  was  no  longer  on  the  side  of  the  dis- 
contented soldiery  who,  like  Malet,  dreamed  of  the  upset- 


45°    

ting  of  regiments  or  of  sudden  surprises  of  the  garrisons 
The  barrack-room  insurrection  was  unlikely  to  occur. 
The  terms  of  General  Malet's  letter  proved  that,  for  the 
moment  at  least,  the  Philadelphes  had  renounced  their 
projects. 

There  remained,  then,  the  unrecognized  royalty,  the 
plottings  of  the  Bourbons,  the  source  of  intelligence 
maintained  in  France  by  the  princes,  by  money,  and 
the  complicity  of  England,  perhaps  in  this  last  the  real 
danger  was  to  be  found. 

Marquis  de  Louvigne,  an  obscure  agent  and  there- 
fore the  more  to  be  feared,  should  have  been  arrested 
ten  times  over,  but  warned  no  doubt  at  the  actual  mo- 
ment he  had  succeeded  in  getting  back  to  England. 

Fouche  had  left  him  at  liberty.  There  was  either 
guilt  or  stupidity  in  this,  or  perhaps  he  was  ignorant  of 
Louvigne's  quality  as  agent  of  the  princes,  and  then 
Fouche  deserved  to  be  dismissed  as  incapable,  or  per- 
haps he  was  aware  of  the  presence  in  Paris  and  the  de- 
signs of  the  Marquis  de  Louvigne,  in  which  case  Fouche 
was  a  traitor  and  deserved  to  be  punished. 

Irritated  by  the  adventure  of  the  kiosque,  annoyed 
at  the  movement  of  violence  into  which  he  had  been 
betrayed  and  angered  by  the  presence  of  Neipperg  near 
the  Empress,  the  Emperor  had  sent  in  haste  to  the  Pre- 
fecture of  Police  for  the  brief  concerning  the  Philadel- 
phes and  the  Marquis  de  Louvigne.  He  had  given 
the  order  in  so  short  and  impatient  a  manner  that  the 
secretary  charged  with  the  bringing  of  the  brief,  being 
on  good  terms  with  M.  Dubois,  did  not  fail  to  inform 
him  of  the  anger  of  Napoleon. 

Count  Dubois,  alarmed,  entered  the  carriage  himself 
and  conveyed  the  paper  personally,  giving  the  document 
to  the  secretary  and  waited  in  great  uneasiness  in  the 
ante-chamber,  without  causing  himself  to  be  announced. 

After  about  an  hour  the  prefect,  hearing  nothing  more 
and  judging  the  Emperor's  wrath  was  appeased,  asked 


45' 

for  his  carriage  and  made  ready  to  quit  St.  Cloud.  Just 
as  he  was  getting  into  his  coach,  a  well-known  voice 
hailed  him: 

"  Dubois!  Dubois!     Come  here  at  once  !  " 

It  was  the  Emperor  who  shouted  to  him  from  the 
balcony  of  the  study. 

More  alarmed  than  ever  the  prefect  hastened  up  the 
stairs. 

As  he  again  passed  the  ante-chamber  and  was  enter- 
ing the  Emperor's  private  room,  the  chamberlain,  M. 
de  Remusat,  barred  his  passage. 

He  told  his  name,  but  all  in  vain. 

"The  Emperor  is  closeted  with  the  chancellor  and  my 
orders  are  to  let  no  one  enter,"  said  the  chamberlain  in 
a  harsh  voice. 

"But  your  orders  cannot  apply  to  me,"  replied  the 
prefect,  "since  His  Majesty  has  just  called  me." 

"  Sir,  it  is  impossible  !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  I  lie  !  " 

"  No,  but  you  must  have  fancied  it.  Who  could  have 
called  you,  since  I  am  in  waiting  and  have  neither  re- 
ceived nor  transmitted  any  such  order." 

"  It  was  one  who  serves  himself  better  than  he  is 
served — the  Emperor?" 

M.  de  Remusat  grumbled  out  some  angry  words,  but 
at  that  moment  the  Emperor  opened  the  door  of  his 
private  room  and  put  an  end  to  the  squabble.  Napoleon 
seemed  to  be  much  agitated.  He  paced  up  and  down 
the  room,  a  large  page  of  paper  covered  by  lines  of  his 
writing,  quite  illegible,  was  spread  out  on  a  desk.  He 
stopped  short  before  Count  Dubois,  and  said: 

"  Dubois  ?  this  fellow  Fouche  is  a  great  rascal." 

The  Prefect  of  Police,  who  hated  the  Duked'Otranto, 
bowed  in  silence,  neither  approving  nor  contesting  the 
qualifications  bestowed  upon  his  chief  by  the  Emperor. 

Napoleon,  continuing  his  walking  up  and  down,  then 
addressed  Cambaceres: 


45  2 

"  Yes,  a  rascal,  a  great  rascal,  but  he  shall  not  hum- 
bug me  as  he  has  tried  to  humbug  his  God  with  his 
Convention  and  his  Directory,  both  of  which  he  basely 
betrayed  and  sold.  I  can  see  further  than  Barras,  and 
he  won't  find  it  so  easy  to  get  the  best  of  me.  Let  him 
look  out — but  he  has  notes  and  instructions  of  mine  in 
his  possession, — and  I  want  them  back." 

Then  turning  to  Dubois: 

"I  know,"  said  he,  "that  you  and  Fouche  are  deadly 
enemies,  and  in  spite  of  that  I  have  chosen  you  to  go  to 
him  and  fulfill  an  important  mission — very  important  to 
him,  for  it  concerns  his  head." 

"  Sire/'  said  Dubois,  "  I  beg  Your  Majesty  to  deign  to 
excuse  me  from  the  honor  you  propose.  You  have  said 
yourself  that  the  Duke  d'Otranto  is  my  enemy.  He  will 
think  I  have  come  to  bully  him." 

"Silence,"  answered  the  Emperor,  "you  go  to  him  on 
business  of  the  State,  which  no  one  can  do  so  well. 
Listen  !  Fouche  has  had  from  me  during  the  time  he 
has  been  in  office  a  great  many  notes  and  confidential 
communications — I  wish  to  see  them  !  " 

"  Has  not  Your  Majesty  asked  for  them  ? " 

"  Over  and  over  again  !  And  do  you  know  his  an- 
swer ?  He  says  he  burned  them — these  papers.  He — 
Fouche — burn  the  papers  written  by  my  own  hand  ! 
Pshaw  ! — not  he  !  " 

"  Sire,  I  will  execute  your  order.  I  will  ask  him  again 
for  these  notes." 

"  Yes,  I  must  have  them  at  once.  I  have  positive 
proof  that  Fouche  betrays  my  trust — that  he  is  in  com- 
munication with  royalist  agents.  I  intend  to  put  it  out 
of  his  power  to  injure  me.  He  is  no  longer  Minister  of 
Police.  Go  to  his  castle  at  Ferrieres,  where  he  is  at 
present,  and  demand  in  my  name  all  those  papers  !  " 

"  I  must  have  a  list  of  them,  sire  !  " 

"  Here  it  is,  said  he/'  throwing  the  great  page  of  hier- 
oglyphs to  Dubois. 


453 

"  And  if  the  Duke  d*  Otranto  refuses?"  inquired  the 
Prefect,  persuaded  that  the  crafty  minister  would  never 
give  up  papers  that  were  his  safeguard,  those  papers  re- 
lating to  the  execution  of  Duke  d'Enghien. 

"If  he  refuses,"  cried  the  Emperor  angrily,  "you  will 
take  ten  gendarmes  with  you  and  bring  him  to  1'Ab- 
baye — I'll  show  him  a  quick  way  to  serve  a  process  ! 
Go,  my  dear  Dubois,  rid  me  of  the  traitor." 

Consoled  by  this  vigorous  act,  the  Emperor  signed 
the  decree  which  named  the  Duke  of  Rovigo  Minister 
of  Police,  and  his  rage  was  appeased  immediately.  He 
smilingly  dismissed  Cambaceres  and  Dubois.  Then  he 
went  down  to  the  Empress  and  surprised  her  in  the 
midst  of  her  ladies.  To  amuse  himself,  he  requested 
her  to  play  to  him  upon  her  harp,  and  was  as  amiable 
as  though  nothing  had  occurred  to  disturb  him. 

Dubois  acquitted  himself  of  his  mission  as  best  he 
could,  but  could  find  nothing  to  seize  at  Ferrieres. 
Fouche  had  put  in  a  safe  place  all  those  papers  which 
he  afterwards  sold  to  Louis  XVIII.  Those  papers,  how- 
ever, were  not  as  important  as  Napoleon  supposed. 
They  established  above  all  that  the  execution  of  the 
Duke  d'Enghien  had  been  instigated  by  Savary, 
afterwards  Duke  de  Rovigo  and  Fouche's  successor 
in  office. 

Fouche,  after  having  protested  before  Dubois  the 
respectful  manner  in  which  he  received  his  disgrace  and 
announced  his  departure  for  Rome,  quitted  Ferrieres 
secretly  and  went  to  hide  himself  in  Paris  in  a  very  ob- 
scure little  house. 

There,  surrounded  by  confidential  agents  whom  he 
employed  as  a  sort  of  counter  police  of  his  own,  he 
watched  the  Emperor  nervously,  the  Empress  and  all 
who  approached  their  majesties. 

While  he  was  in  power  it  happened  he  received  some 
very  obscure  reports,  which  had  interested  him  much, 
regarding  M.  de  Neipperg,  the  Austrian  equerry  placed 


454 


by  His  Majesty  Francis  II.  about  the  person   of  Marie 
Louise. 

Some  personal  observations  had  verified  the  exacti- 
tude of  the  reports  furnished  by  his  agents. 

"  Comte  de  Neipperg  is  in  love  with  the  Empress," 
thought  he,  smiling,  and  his  fox-like  visage  took  an 
extaordinary  expression  of  malice, — "the  thing  is  plain 

to  be  seen,  too  plain,  for 
the  Emperor  has  perceived 
it  and  has  dismissed  the 
equerry." 

He  reflected  for  a  mo- 
ment, took  a  pinch  of  snuff 
and  said  with  another 
smile  : 

"  Does  the  Empress  love 
him  ?  That  is  the  ques- 
tion. Neipperg  is  gone, 
but  he'll  come  back  !  He 
won't  stay  long  in  Vienna, 
— just  long  enough  to  show 
himself  to  the  French  Am- 
bassador and  then  he'll  re- 
turn double  quick." 

He  took  a  second  pinch 
of  snuff  as  he  murmured 
to  himself  : 

"  This  gallant  at  the  palace,  then  I'll  bar  his  passage, 
and  carry  him  like  a  faithful  dog  to  the  Empress,  who 
cannot  deny  my  zeal  and  hasten  to  repair  this  present 
injustice, — or  else — for  the  Empress  is  powerful  and  can 
do  much  with  Napoleon,  I  will  warn  her — protect  her — 
save  her — and  Marie  Louise  will  be  grateful.  The  loves 
of  sovereigns  are  the  safety  of  misguided  servants,  such 
as  I." 

And  delighted  by  his  perspicacity,  Fouche,  confident, 
reassured,  rubbed  his  hands,  saying  to  himself  : 


455 

"  Only  let  Neipperg  come  back  in  a  couple  of  months, 
and  I'll  send  you  into  retirement  on  your  estates, 
Monsieur  le  Due  de  Rovigo." 

LXI. 

THE    RETURN. 

HERE'S  your  hat,  Duchess,"  said  Lise,  the  femme  de 
chambre,  opening  the  door  of  the  salon  where  Catharine 
Lefebvre  stood  before  a  long  mirror,  turning,  arranging, 
and  admiring  a  new  riding  habit  the  dressmaker  had 
just  brought  to  her. 

A  hunting  party  to  go  to  Compiegne  had  been  ar- 
ranged by  the  Emperor  for  the  next  day,  and  the 
Duchess  of  Danzig,  under  the  circumstances,  had  ordered 
a  longer  petticoat,  a  waist  with  brilliant  metal  buttons, 
and  a  coquettish  hat.  Just  then  she  was  complaining 
about  the  skirt  and  the  waist  which  she  thought  were 
much  too  short: 

"  I  can't  get  half  into  these  things.  Why,  I'll  look  like 
a  fright  when  I  meet  their  majesties.  Lise,  Lise,  bring 
that  hat  here  !  " 

She  seized  the  bonnet  from  the  hands  of  the  girl,  and, 
throwing  it  on  the  table,  she  stood  off  at  a  little  distance 
and  critically  regarded  it: 

"That  will  look  horribly  on  me  !  " 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Duchess,"  the  maid  ventured. 

"You  don't  know  anything  about  it,  Lise." 

"Well,  madame,  do  you  think  it  is  too  large  !" 

"  Too  little,  it  won't  begin  to  cover  my  head.  I  should 
think  it  was  a  cap  made  for  the  Emperor." 

"Do  you  wish  to  see  the  man  who  brought  it, 
Duchess;  he  is  waiting  in  the  ante-chamber?" 

"  Is  it  the  hatmaker  himself  ?  " 

"  No,  madame,  it  is  his  clerk." 

"All  right,  tell  him  to  come  in." 


And  Catharine  again  turned  to  the  mirror  to  examine 
her  new  costume. 

The  door  opened,  but  Catharine  did  not  interrupt  her 


exercise  before  the  glass;  she  placed  her  hat  upon  her 
head,  she  approached  the  mirror  and  withdrew  from  it, 
she  arranged  and  rearranged  her  hair,  and  all  with  the 
same  impatient  movement.  Suddenly  she  gave  an  ex- 


457     

clamation  of  surprise,  she  saw  in  the  mirror  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  man's  face  Lise  had  brought  into  the  room, 
the  clerk  of  the  hatter.  Turning  quickly,  Catharine 
pointed  towards  the  door,  and  said  to  her  astonished 
maid: 

"  Leave  us." 

And  as  Lise  disappeared  into  the  corridor  closing  the 
door  behind  her,  she  asked  herself: 

"  What  can  be  the  matter  with  the  Duchess  to-day  ? 
Why  has  this  hatter's  man  caused  her  such  a  flurry. 
Oh,  probably  she  has  recognized  somebody  she  knew 
when  she  was  a  washerwoman,  an  old  acquaintance,  I 
suppose.  Oh,  that's  funny  !  " 

While  Lise  was  thus  satisfying  her  curiosity  outside, 
the  Duchess  hastened  to  the  man  and  seizing  his  hand 
said  with  every  trace  of  anxiety  in  her  voice; 

"  You  here  !     How  did  you  get  here." 

"  I  found  your  hatter  in  Paris  and  learned  he  was 
going  to  deliver  a  hat  to  you.  I  followed  the  boy  who 
was  sent  with  it,  and  on  the  road  I  gave  him  a  napo- 
leon and  he  allowed  me  to  take  the  box  and  bring  it 
here  to  your  room.  That's  the  way  I  got  here,  and  I 
believe  I  am  filling  my  role  very  well.  Now  you  will  see 
that  I  am  safe!" 

"What  terrible  imprudence!  Don't  you  know  you 
have  some  strong  enemies  at  work  here  ?  " 

"  I  know  I  have  one,  the  Emperor!  " 

"That  is  sufficient!  What  an  uproar  there  would  be 
if  it  were  known  Comte  de  Neipperg  had  returned." 

"They  need  not  know  it!"  said  Neipperg,  because  it 
was  he  who,  incapable  of  being  longer  separated  from 
Marie  Louise,  had  dared  to  return  to  France. 

"  But  the  spies,"  said  Catharine  in  alarm,  "don't  you 
know  you  are  observed,  that  you  are  being  watched  and 
followed.  The  Emperor  has  had  reports  concerning 
you  and  all  sorts  of  communications  against  you,  and  if 
you  are  found  here  in  France  you  are  certainly  lost." 


458 

"  I  think  I  shall  stay  but  a  very  little  while,  in  two 
days  at  the  latest  I  shall  be  on  my  way  back  to  Vienna." 

"  Well,  what  did  you  come  for?" 

"  I  must  see  the  Empress." 

"That  is  simply  impossible!  Why  are  you  so  obsti- 
nate? You  are  rashly  imprudent,  and  more  than  that, 
you  have  no  right  to  intrude  upon  the  Empress  and 
subject  her  to  suspicion." 

This  seemed  to  impress  Neipperg  for  the  moment  be- 
cause he  hesitated  as  though  thinking  of  some  suitable 
response,  and  then  taking  Catharine's  arm  he  said  with 
emotion: 

"  My  dear  Duchess,  don't  ask  me  any  more  questions, 
don't  force  me  to  lay  open  my  heart,  my  sad  heart. 
You  must  understand,  you  must  see  that  I  love  the 
Empress,  and  something  tells  me  she  is  not  entirely 
indifferent." 

"  Foolish  man;  if  the  Emperor  sees  you  it  will  be 
death  for  you,  disgrace  and  repudiation  for  her.  Stop 
this  senseless  passion  at  once." 

"  I  cannot,  I  can  end  this  love  only  with  my  life.  But 
I  know  I  can  satisfy  my  love  partially  by  making  it 
known  to  the  object  of  my  passion." 

"  What  is  your  scheme?  What  new  audacity  have  you 
dreamed  of?  " 

"To  have  one  last  interview  with  Marie  Louise;  I  ask 
you  to  help  me,  convey  to  her  an  object  she  confided 
to  me." 

"  A  love  token  ?  " 

"  Yes,  this  ring,"  said  Neipperg,  taking  from  his 
pocket  a  little  box  which  he  opened  and  exposed  the 
ring  Marie  Louise  had  given  him  on  the  day  of  his 
departure.  Passionately  he  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  kissed 
it  again  and  again  and  replaced  it  in  its  box,  murmuring: 

"  How  can  I  part  with  this  jewel,  the  most  precious 
object  to  me  on  earth,  dearer  to  me  than  life  itself  !  " 

"  And  is  it  to  get  me  to  give  this  box  to  the  Empress 


459 

that  you  have  left  Austria  and  braved  the  anger  of  the 
Emperor,  fully  justifying  his  jealousy  ?  " 

"There  is  another  reason.  Napoleon  has  noticed  the 
Empress  no  longer  has  this  ring  among  her  possessions, 
I  presume  some  maid  has  indiscreetly  let  it  out." 

"  Or  Fouche." 

"  Yes,  perhaps  Fouche.  Marie  Louise  has  pretended 
to  have  mislaid  it  and  Napoleon  has  been  searching  for 
it  and  says  it  must  be  found.  Pressing  word  from  the 
Empress  reached  me  at  Vienna,  and  I  immediately 
started.  This  evening  Marie  Louise  must  have  her  ring 
back,  so  that  her  husband's  suspicions  shall  be  ended." 

"  But  if  you  are  surprised  here,  what  explanation  will 
you  have? " 

"  None,  I  hope  I  won't  be  surprised." 

"  Who  will  help  you  to  gain  admittance  to  the  palace  ? " 

Neipperg  hesitated  an  instant  and  looked  at  Catharine 
suspiciously. 

"  I  have  only  one  friend,  that  is  only  one  good  and 
faithful  friend  in  France,  it  is  you,  my  dear  Duchess. 
I  hope  you  will  help  me  in  this  instance  and  will  save 
me,  perhaps,  once  more." 

"  No,  you  needn't  count  on  me." 

"Catharine  Lefebvre,  do  you  remember  the  roth  of 
August;  do  you  remember  how  you  saved  me,  protected 
me  from  the  vengeance  of  the  National  Guards  when 
they  were  going  to  shoot  me,  how  you  saved  me  from 
being  killed  ?  " 

"  We  are  beyond  the  loth  of  August,  my  dear  Comte," 
responded  Catharine,  with  dignity.  "  I  am  now  Mar- 
chioness Lefebvre,  Duchess  of  Danzig,  and  I  o\ve  it  all 
to  the  Emperor.  My  husband  and  his  faithful  subject, 
the  companion  of  his  conflicts  and  his  glory,  is  Marshal 
of  his  armies,  Duke  of  his  Empire;  with  him  he  has 
fought  upon  every  battlefield  of  Europe.  We  do  not 
wish,  the  Marshal  and  I,  to  aid  in  any  plans  of  an  enemy 
of  the  Emperor;  Napoleon  has  been  our  friend;  he  has 


460     

put  us  under  obligations  that  are  many  years  old  and  if 
you  remember  the  loth  of  August,  I  have  not  forgotten 
the  night  of  Jemmapes.  Reflect,  Monsieur  de  Neipperg, 
that  what  you  ask  of  me  is  impossible.  Marshal  Lefebvre 
does  not  know  you  are  not  a  friend  of  France.  The 
honor  of  the  Emperor,  the  -virtue  of  the  Empress  are 
sacred  to  us." 

"Then  you  abandon  me  !  " 

"  I  have  counselled  you  to  leave,  to  return  to  Vienna 
without  seeking  to  speak  to  the  Empress." 

"  I  can  never  do  it.     And  what  about  this  ring? " 

"  You  can  trust  that  to  me,  I  will  give  it  to  Her  Ma- 
jesty myself,  discreetly,  I  promise  you,"  and  Catharine 
held  out  her  hand  to  Neipperg  who  seized  it  and  im- 
pressed a  kiss  upon  it. 

"Oh,  thank  you,  thank  you,"  he  murmured,  "and  let 
the  Empress  know  I  am  thinking  of  her,  that  I  will 
come  at  her  first  call,  her  first  signal." 

"  I  will  carry  out  your  wishes,  Comte,  but  I  believe 
and  I  hope  the  Empress  will  never  want  to  remind  you 
of  your  promise,  never  wish  to  demand  your  devotion." 

"Don't  be  sure  of  that,  Madame  la  Duchess,  the 
ground  under  the  feet  of  your  Emperor  is  mined." 

"  The  mine  will  explode  without  danger  to  him.  His 
throne  is  surrounded  by  kneeling  kings." 

"The  prostrate  kings  will  arise,  their  vengeance  will 
be  greater  for  being  so  long  delayed.  I  know  this,  my 
dear  Duchess;  the  Court  of  Vienna  has  unfolded  its  secrets 
to  me;  your  Emperor  must  look  out  for  himself.  The 
storm  is  gathering,  the  thunder  will  soon  be  heard." 

"  If  a  storm  menaces  the  Imperial  throne,  I  don't  sup- 
pose it  will  have  its  beginning  in  Vienna.  Your  Em- 
peror is  father-in-law  to  ours." 

"  My  sovereign  has  never  taken  his  alliance  with 
Napoleon  seriously.  He  has  sacrificed  his  daughter  in 
order  to  preserve  his  provinces.  A  marriage  dictated 
by  politics  may  be  broken  by  politics." 


461 

.  "You  have  lugubrious  presentiments,  Neipperg,  but 
happily  nothing  now  exists  to  indicate  they  will  ever  be 
realized.  Don't  depend  too  much  on  your  imagination. 
Don't  forget  that  Napoleon  is  always  powerful  ;  his 
throne  is  secure;  he  is  surrounded  by  devoted  followers, 
and  no  pity  will  be  shown  those  who  conspire  against 
him  or  against  the  Empress." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  answered  Neipperg,  "  there  is  Roustan, 
the  Mameluke.  What  would  he  do  to  me  if  I  were 
found  in  the  apartments  of  the  Empress?" 

"  He  would  kill  you." 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  they  would  not  dare  to  do  it.  The  devil! 
Napoleon  looks  fine  surrounded  by  his  Oriental  janis- 
saries to  guard  himself  and  his  wife.  Is  his  palace  the 
harem  of  a  Sultan  ?" 

"  I  advise  you  not  to  trifle  with  the  jealousy  of 
Napoleon  or  the  scimitar  of  Roustan." 

"  I  do  not  ignore  the  fact  that  Napoleon  has  im- 
prisoned Marie  Louise,  that  he  locks  her  up  as  though 
she  were  an  odalisque,  that  he  forbids  any  man,  even  the 
great  officers  of  his  household,  his  best  friends,  Berthier, 
Cambaceres,  Lefebvre,  or  Caulaincourt  to  enter  the 
apartments  of  the  Empress  unless  he  himself  invites  and 
accompanies  them.  I  am  aware  likewise  of  the  blind 
devotion  of  this  Mameluke,  who  would  strike  down  his 
own  father  if  he  found  him  breaking  a  rule  of  the  palace, 
but  I  have  taken  my  precautions,  I  am  inviolable." 

"  Inviolable  ?     What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?" 

"Without  having  exactly  informed  the  Emperor  of 
Austria  the  purport  of  my  secret  visit  to  France,  I  have 
told  him  I  was  coming  to  find  the  Empress,  either  at 
Paris,  St.  Cloud  or  Compiegne,  I  talked  to  him  freely, 
he  wished  to  have  me  tell  him  whether  she  were  happy, — 
if  Napoleon  treated  her  kindly.  You  know  the  Emperor 
Francis  loved  his  daughter,  and  his  affection  was  deeply 
touched  when  he  was  called  upon  to  sacrifice  the  heart 
of  Marie  Louise  to  the  interests  of  his  monarchy." 


462    

"  Has  it  been  necessary,  then,  for  the  Emperor  Francis 
to  employ  such  a  mysterious  ambassador  as  yourself  to 
learn  the  sentiments  of  his  daughter;  is  not  the  Empress 
at  liberty  to  write  to  her  father  ?  " 

Neipperg  slightly  and  scornfully  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  You  forget  Savary." 

"  Yes,  but  who  is  Savary  ?  " 

"  He  has  organized  a  secret  office,  a  dark  cabinet, 
everywhere,  at  Saint  Cloud,  at  the  Tuileries,  here  at 
Compiegne.  The  Duke  of  Rovigo  is  pastmaster  in  the 
art  of  opening  letters,  steaming  or  loosening  their 
seals  by  means  of  a  knife-blade  heated  in  the  fire.  The 
Emperor  of  Austria  knows  this  and  he  has  commisioned 
me  to  obtain  from  his  daughter  important  secret  infor- 
mation. It  is  for  this  that,  braving  all,  I  have  come  in 
disguise  to  the  Palace  of  Compiegne." 

"  Neipperg,  don't  you  know  how  to  be  reasonable  ! 
Don't  throw  yourself  away,  don't  compromise  the  Em- 
press." 

"  Such  a  thought  is  very  far  from  my  mind,  I  assure 
you." 

"  Heed  me  and  leave  immediately  without  trying  to 
approach  Her  Majesty." 

Neipperg  hesitated  and  Catharine  took  advantage  of 
his  apparent  uncertainty  to  insist  upon  his  going. 

"  Even  admitting  that  you  are  so  foolish  as  to  remain, 
how  will  you  get  to  Her  Majesty's  apartments  ?  Who 
will  admit  you  ? 

"  Madame  de  Montebello." 

"  Her  maid  of  honor!  This  is  really  serious!  My  dear 
Comte,  you  know  since  the  illness  of  General  Ordener 
that  Lefebvre  has  had  command  here  and  incidentally 
performs  the  duties  of  grand  marshal  of  the  palace. 
Madame  de  Montebello  is  under  his  orders;  he  is  respon- 
sible for  the  presence  of  all  persons  in  this  palace  who 
have  not  been  summoned.  Now,  Neipperg,  you  cer- 


463    

tainly  don't  want  to  place  Lefebvre  in  the  position  of 
choosing  between  his  love  for  you  and  his  duty  !  " 

"  Would  Lefebvre  have  me  shot  ?" 

"  Unquestionably,  if  the  Emperor  ordered  it.  If  you 
are  discovered  here  he  will  order  it.  Go,  then,  I  beseech 
you,  in  the  name  of  our  old  friendship,  in  the  name  of 
your  son  Henriot  whom  the  Emperor  favors;  you  don't 
want  to  compromise  his  career  for  the  sake  of  one  happy 
moment,  for  an  interview  that  is  hopeless." 

"  If  you  say  to  me  Lefebvre  would  not  take  the  respon- 
sibility of  deciding  for  me,  then  I  will  leave." 

"You  will  take  the  road  for  Vienna?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Neipperg  with  a  certain  embarrassment 
as  though  he  were  speaking  the  words  only  and  not 
with  the  intention  of  living  up  to  them.  "I  will  take 
my  carriage  that  is  waiting  on  the  Soissons  road;  I  will 
find  the  hat  clerk  and  report  to  him  as  I  promised,  and 
then  go  on  to  Paris  and  from  there  start  for  Germany. 
Adieu,  then,  and  don't  fail  to  deliver  the  ring  of  Her 
Majesty  as  you  said  " 

At  this  moment  a  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  the 
conversation,  and  Lise  entered. 

"  Who  is  it?  Why  am  I  disturbed  ? "  Catharine 
demanded. 

"  It  is  Monsieur  de  Remusat,  chamberlain  of  His 
Majesty,  and  he  wishes  to  speak  to  the  Duchess," 
answered  Lise. 

"The  chamberlain?  Oh,  yes,  I  know,"  said  Catharine; 
"  it  is  probably  to  talk  about  the  quarrel  I  had  yesterday 
with  the  Emperor's  sisters.  They  have  gone  to  the 
Emperor  and  he  thinks  I  should  be  read  a  lesson.  Tell 
M.  de  Remusat  to  come  in,"  and  then,  turning  to  Neip- 
perg, she  added,  "  Adieu,  monsieur." 

"  Then,  Madame  the  Duchess  is  satisfied  with  the  hat," 
said  the  ostensible  clerk  in  a  loud  voice. 

"  Perfectly  satisfied.  Present  my  compliments  to  your 
employer,"  answered  the  Duchess. 


464 

And  she  seated  herself  upon  the  fauteuil  to  receive 
with  becoming  dignity  the  chamberlain  of  His  Majesty. 

LXII. 

THE    FAITH    OF    THE    WASHERWOMAN. 

THE  order  brought  by  M.  de  Remusat  was  ominous. 
The  Emperor  desired  the  presence  of  the  Duchess  of 
Danzig  in  his  cabinet  at  once. 

The  chamberlain  completed  his  mission  and  retired; 
the  Duchess  hurriedly  changed  her  dress,  wrapped  her- 
self in  a  long  mantle  and  followed  to  the  Emperor's 
apartments. 

Napoleon  was  working  in  his  small  office,  lighted  by 
three  candles  and  a  lamp,  having  with  him  the  valet, 
Constant,  who  just  then  was  preparing  a  cup  of  coffee. 
Two  artillery  officers  in  brilliant  uniforms,  de  Lauriston 
and  de  Brigode,  waited  on  the  Emperor. 

Napoleon,  in  a  furious  temper,  was  looking  at  a  num- 
ber of  clippings  from  foreign  papers,  all  of  a  scandalous 
nature  and  reflecting  in  some  way  upon  him  or  his 
family,  paragraphs  pretending  to  give  information  of 
the  private  life  of  the  Imperial  household;  Junot's  at- 
tention to  Caroline  was  criticised  and  some  startling 
stories  were  told.  One  of  these  articles  in  particular 
irritated  Napoleon,  because  it  referred  to  the  disgrace 
of  Neipperg,  the  equerry  of  the  Empress,  placed  there 
by  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  then  the  article  went  on 
to  insinuate  that  after  the  departure  of  the  equerry 
Marie  Louise  had  been  low-spirited  and  languishing,  all 
due  to  Napoleon's  jealousy. 

To  these  irritating  incidents  were  added  the  complaints 
of  his  sisters,  who  were  continually  quarrelling  among 
themselves,  and  had  tormented  him  that  day  with  their 
angry  words.  Elisa  became  more  and  more  jealous  of 


465    

Caroline  because  she  had  been  made  a  Queen,  and  that 
very  afternoon  the  two  had  engaged  in  a  wordy  alter- 
cation that  began  in  French  and  ended  in  a  Corsican 
patois,  accompanied  by  an  exuberance  of  violent  ges- 


S 


tures  and  a  selection  of  vulgar  expressions  peculiar  to 
the  Corsican  purlieus.  In  the  midst  of  the  dispute  Na- 
poleon attempted  to  separate  them,  but  as  they  were 
deaf  to  his  rebuke  and  indifferent  to  his  wishes,  and  he 
did  not  possess  the  physical  strength  of  putting  them 


466 

bodily  out  of  the  room,  he  seized  the  coal  tongs  from 
the  great  chimney  place  and  threatened  to  knock  them 
both  senseless  if  they  did  not  cease.  It  was  a  comical 
and  mortifying  scene,  recalling  in  too-faithful  accuracy 
the  altercations  in  which  the  family  had  participated 
during  their  poverty-stricken  days  at  Marseilles. 

It  may,  therefore,  be  understood,  the  Marchioness 
Lefebvre,  against  whom  the  Queen  of  Naples  and  the 
Grand  Duchess  of  Piombino  had  entered  a  formal  and 
aggravating  protest  to  the  Emperor,  was  summoned  to 
an  audience  that  promised  to  be  everything  else  than 
amiable.  But  she  was  provided  with  ample  courage  and 
had  a  spirit  confident  in  its  own  resources,  so  she  was 
prepared  to  hold  her  own  with  the  redoubtable  adver- 
sary who  had  summoned  her. 

To  strengthen  her  defense  still  more,  a  happy 
thought  occurred  at  the  last  moment,  and  opening  her 
jewel  box  wherein  she  kept  her  most  precious  posses- 
sions, she  took  from  it  a  folded  paper,  yellow  with  age, 
creased  and  torn  and  giving  evidence  of  having  been 
concealed  in  the  portfolio  for  many  years.  She  care- 
fully pushed  the  paper  into  her  corset,  and  hastening 
down  through  the  long  corridors  of  the  palace,  passing 
the  vestibules  where  were  sleeping  the  officers  of  the 
household,  she  reached  the  door  of  the  Imperial 
cabinet. 

Roustan,  the  faithful  Mameluke,  guarded  the  en- 
trance, and  an  aide-de-camp  announced  the  Duchess  to 
His  Majesty. 

Catharine  Lefebvre,  with  a  brave,  stately  reverence, 
saluted  the  Emperor  as  she  entered,  and  hesitated  in 
silence  for  a  moment  until  he  had  concluded  his  inter- 
view with  the  Minister  of  Finance  and  that  functionary 
had  withdrawn.  The  Emperor  turned  over  the  papers 
on  the  desk  and  nothing  was  heard  but  the  regular  tick 
of  the  elaborate  clock  on  the  mantel  and  the  soft  crackle 
of  the  fire  in  the  chimney. 


467 

Suddenly  Napoleon  looked  up  from  his  papers,  and 
said,  roughly: 

"  Well,  Marchioness,  I  am  having  some  delightful 
trouble  on  your  account.  What  were  you  up  to  yester- 
day ?  I  hear  nothing  all  the  time  but  reports  of  your 
violent  language,  of  your  absurd  expressions,  and  all 
the  newspapers  of  Europe  are  quoting  them  to  show 
that  my  Court  is  little  better  than  a  market-place. 
There  is  no  use  telling  me  you  have  been  provoked. 
I  know  all  about  that,  but  there  is  no  excuse  for  using 
such  language  in  my  Court;  .if  you  don't  know  how  to 
talk  you  had  better  learn;  I  am  out  of  patience  with 
this  ignorance  around  me.  I  should  think  when 
Lefebvre  acquired  the  baton  of  a  marshal  he  might 
have  given  up  some  of  the  associations  he  formed  as  a 
sergeant." 

Napoleon  stopped  talking  long  enough  to  go  to  the 
fire  and  pour  from  the  little  pot  that  was  boiling  there 
a  small  cup  of  coffee  whose  delicious  odor  spread 
through  the  room.  Catharine  remained  calm,  indiffer- 
ent and  waiting.  Swallowing  the  steaming  drink  at  a 
single  gulp,  Napoleon  went  on  : 

"Your  position  here  at  Court  is  simply  absurd;  you 
must  get  out:  you  owe  it  to  the  reputation  of  the  rest  of 
us;  you  have  made  no  efforts  to  improve  your  personality 
with  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  your  fortune. 
If  you  are  divorced  I'll  promise  you  that  there  shall  be 
no  change  in  your  rank  or  your  prerogatives.  I  have 
already  told  this  to  Lefebvre,  did  he  say  anything  to 
you  about  it  ?" 

"Yes,  sire;  Lefebvre  told  me  all  about  it." 

"  Well,  what  did  you  say  to  him  ?" 

"I?     I  laughed  at  him." 

"  What  do.  you  mean  by  such  language  ?  What  did 
Lefebvre  do?  Didn't  he  tell  you  you  must  agree  to  it?" 

"  Oh,  he  just  hugged  me  and  told  me  to  forget  what 
you  said." 


468 

"  How  dare  you  reply  so  to  me,  your  Emperor  and 
your  master ! " 

"  Sire,  you  are  our  master,  our  Emperor,  that's  true. 
You  can  dispose  of  us  as  you  see  fit;  can  end  our  exist- 
ence, I  presume,  Lefebvre  and  me;  you  can  do  all  that. 
You  are  the  Emperor  and  by  simply  signing  your  name 
you  can  throw  500,000  men  across  the  Danube  or  Vis- 
tula, who  are  ready  to  be  killed  for  you,  but  you  can't 
come  in  between  Lefebvre  and  me  ;  you  can't  sepa- 
rate us;  your  power  stops  right  there,  and  if  you  wish 
to  go  into  any  such  conflict  as  that  you'll  get  the  worst 
of  it." 

"  You  believe  that,  do  you  ?  But,  madame,  you  know 
you  have  a  tongue  that  is  simply  uncontrollable  and 
you  make  a  scandalous  exhibition  in  my  Court  altogether 
too  frequently.  Now  take  that  affair  yesterday,  didn't 
you  insult  the  Queen  of  Naples  and  the  Grand  Duchess 
of  Piombino?  Won't  you  respect  the  Emperor  in  the 
persons  of  members  of  his  family?  Why  should  I  tol- 
erate such  scenes, — these  outrages  that  are  more  fitted 
to  a  dance-hall? " 

"  Sire,  you  have  been  misinformed;  I  simply  defended 
myself  and  resented  the  insults  that  were  heaped  upon 
me.  Your  sisters  outrageously  insulted  the  army." 

Napoleon,  at  one  bound  jumped  from  his  chair,  pale 
with  anger,  and  shouted  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice  : 

"  The  army  !  What  is  that  you  say  ?  Who  has  in- 
sulted the  army  ?  " 

"  Your  sisters  insulted  it,  in  my  person  !  " 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean." 

"Sire,  Youf  Majesty's  sisters  reproached  me  because  I 
was  one  of  the  heroic  soldiers  of  Sambre-et-Meuse, 
and  you  know  that  their  glory  has  seldom  been  equalled, 
— never  surpassed." 

"  That  is  true,  but  how  were  you  among  them  ?  " 

"  I  was  a  vivandiere,  sire,  in  the  Thirteenth  Regiment. 
I  accompanied  Lefebvre," 


469 


"  You  were  through  that  campaign  ? "  exclaimed  the 
Emperor,  at  once  becoming  interested. 

"Yes,  sire.  Verdun,  Jemmapes,  Altenkirchen.  I 
served  in  the  Army  of  the  North,  the  Army  of  the  Moselle, 
the  Army  of  the  Rhine,  the  Army  of  Sambre-et-Meuse. 
I  was  in  eighteen  campaigns,  and  I  was  mentioned  in 
the  order  of  the 
day  afte.r  the  en- 
gagement at  Alten- 
kirchen." 

"  In  the  order  of 
the  day,  you  !  Im- 
possible." 

"  Yes,  sire,  for 
bravery,  in  the 
same  citation  that 
enumerated  the 
heroes  of  the  army, 
with  Hoche,  Jour- 
dan,  Lefebvre." 

"But  this  is 
great,  magnifi- 
cent," said  the 
Emperor  smiling. 
"  Why  the  devil 
didn't  Lefebvre  tell 
me  about  it." 

"  What  would  have  been  the  good,  sire  !  Didn't  he 
get  giory  and  honors  enough  for  two?  Excepting  for  this, 
rumpus  I  should  never  have  spoken  of  it,  nor  of  my 
wound." 

"  You  were  wounded  ?  " 

"  Yes,  by  a  bayonet,  at  Fleurus,  it  went  through  my 
arm  near  the  shoulder." 

"  Let  me  see.  Marchioness,  I  cannot  believe  that  they 
would  have  pierced  such  a  pretty  arm." 

And  Napoleon,  taking  Catharine's  hand  in  his  own, 


47°     

pushed  back  her  sleeve  and  kissed  the  scar  that  marked 
the  savage  blow  from  an  Austrian  bayonet.  He  looked 
into  her  eyes  and  said: 

"  Your  skin  is  like  satin,  Duchess,  permit  me 
again." 

"  Oh,  there  is  only  one  wound,"  she  said  laughing, 
and  then  with  a  half  amused  and  half  malicious  expres- 
sion she  continued;  "This  is  not  the  first  time,  sire,  you 
have  told  me  my  skin  was  like  satin." 

"I!  You  say  I  have  already  told  you  that,  I  never 
have  been  near  enough  to  you,"  Napoleon  responded, 
still  permitting  his  hand  to  wander  softly  over  Catha- 
rine's arm. 

"  Yes,  sire.  It  was  a  long  time  ago,  very  long  ago.  It 
was  on  a  certain  loth  of  August,  oh,  I  was  just  engaged 
to  Lefebvre  then,  and  I  went  to  see  you  one  morning  in 
a  little  room  of  the  Hotel  de  Metz  on  the  Rue  du  Mail, 
where  you  were  living  then." 

"That's  right,  on  the  second  floor." 

"  No,  on  the  third  floor." 

"  What  the  devil  were  you  doing  in  the  room  of  an 
artillery  officer?" 

"  Don't  you  know  ?  I  came  to  bring  home  your  wash- 
ing and  you  were  sadly  in  need  of  it,  and  if  you  had  had 
your  way,  I  never  would  have  returned  as  I  had  come; 
you  were  thinking  of  war,  then;  why  when  I  went  in 
you  had  your  nose  down  in  a  geography  and  you  kept 
it  there  for  a  long  time,  but  you  were  aroused  from 
it  altogether  too  quickly.  Then  I  married  Lefebvre,  I 
didn't  love  him  at  that  time,  I  adore  him  now.  If  you 
had  declared 'yourself  then,  I  don't  know  but  what  I 
might  have  preferred  you  to  him,  as  I  told  you.  But, 
pshaw,  that  seems  like  the  history  of  another  world — we 
won't  think  of  it  any  more,  sire." 

Napoleon  looked  at  the  Duchess  attentively,  and  he 
said: 

"  What  were  you  then  ? " 


"  A  washerwoman,  and  that's  what  your  sisters  re- 
proach me  with." 

"A  washerwoman,  a  washerwoman!  It  appears  as 
though  you  have  followed  every  calling.  A  cantiniere 
may  go,  but  a  washerwoman — I  didn't  suppose  you  were 
following  that  for  a  living." 

"  Sire,  it  was  the  only  way  I  could  make  an  honest 
living.  Did  you  suppose  for  a  moment  I  was  doing 
your  washing  just  to  fill  in  my  time  ?  I  had  a  hard 
enough  struggle  with  the  bills  1  couldn't  collect;  why, 
would  you  believe  it,  right  here  in  your  own  palace  there 
is  a  military  officer  who  owes  me  to  this  day  for  wash- 
ing I  did  for  him  then." 

"  Give  me  your  account  against  him,  and  I  will  make 
him  pay  it,"  said  Napoleon. 

"But  I  don't  want  to  give  the  account  to  Your 
Majesty." 

"That's  foolish.'' 

"No,  it  is  reasonable;  I  don't  wish  to  demand  what  is 
due  me,  and  yet  my  debtor  has  got  a  very  good  position 
at  this  moment,"  and  putting  her  hand  into  her  corsage, 
Catharine  withdrew  the  little  yellow  paper  which  she 
had  placed  there  when  the  Chamberlain  summoned  her; 
"and  he  not  only  owes  me  this  debt,  but  I  have  a  letter 
from  him  acknowledging  it  and  asking  me  to  wait 
a  while  for  the  money.  This  is  what  he  has  written:  '  I 
have  just  this  moment  received  your  note  and  my  present 
means  are  insufficient  for  me  to  supply  the  wants  of  my 
mother  and  my  brothers  and  sisters,  who  are  refugees 
at  Marseilles.  When  I  shall  have  been  restored  to  my 
grade  as  captain  of  artillery  '  " 

Napoleon  took  the  letter  from  her  hand  and  as  he 
looked  over  it,  visibly  and  profoundly  affected,  he 
said: 

"  Then  it  was  I!  All  my  youth  returns  to  me  with  this 
torn  paper  and  this  faded  writing.  Yes,  I  was  poor  and 
unknown;  I  was  devoured  with  ambition  and  restless 


—    47* 

under  the  restraints  that  were  placed  upon  me.  I  was 
alone,  without  friends,  without  credit,  without  any  one 
who  believed  in  me — and  you  had  confidence.  A  washer- 
woman! Oh,  I  remember  it  all  very  well;  you  were 
good,  you  were  thoughtful,  perhaps  you  alone  saw  into 
the  future  and  believed  the  obscure  artillery  officer  would 


not  always  remain  in  the  third-floor  room  of  a  furnished 
hotel,  or  that  you  would  always  look  after  his  linen;  you 
had  compassion  for  his  loneliness  and  for  his  poverty. 
The  Emperor  will  never  forget  it." 

Napoleon  was  affected  by  uncontrolled  emotion;  his 
anger  had  passed  away;  he  looked  with  almost  religious 
reverence  upon  this  letter;  he  put  his  hand  to  his  brow 


473 

as  though  trying  to  recall  another  memory  of  those 
years,  and  he  said: 

"  Now,  I  remember,  your  laundry  was  in  the  Rue  des 
Orties;  I  often  went  there,  and  I  know  just  exactly  how 
it  looked.  There  was  the  large  washroom  with  the  stairs 
going  up  out  of  it,  the  tables,  the  tubs,  the  big  chimney. 
The  door  of  your  room  was  to  the  left,  the  entrance  door 
to  the  right.  It  was  a  big  square  room  with  a  lot  of 
ropes  across  it,  the  clothes  hanging  up  to  dry.  But  let 
me  see,  what  did  they  call  you  then,  what  was  your  name 
before  you  were  married  ? " 

"Catharine,  Catharine  Upscher." 

"No,  that  was  not  it,  you  must  have  had  another 
name.  Let  me  see,  some  nickname." 

"  I  did,  they  called  me  Sans-Gene." 

"  Ah,  yes,  that's  it,  and  you  have  kept  that  name  f  ere 
at  Court." 

"Yes,  sire,  and  on  the  battlefield  also!  " 

"You  are  right !  you  did  well  to  defend  your  vivan- 
diere  skirts  against  the  insolence  of  my  Court,  and  it  is 
I,  Catharine  Sans-Gene,  who  will  make  every  one  here 
respect  you.  You  know  to-morrow  I  give  a  hunting 
party  in  honor  of  the  Prince  of  Bavaria,  before  all  my 
Court,  before  my  sisters,  I  shall  speak  to  you  in  such  a 
way  that  no  one  ever  will  again  dare  to  reproach  you  with 
your  humble  origin  or  your  poverty;  you  shall  partake 
of  the  honors  with  Murat,  with  Ney,  and,  by  God,  with 
me!  But  now,  before  you  go,  I  think  it  is  fitting  the 
Emperor  should  pay  the  debts  of  the  artillery  captain. 
How  much  do  I  owe  you,  Madame  Sans-Gene  ? "  and  the 
Emperor  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  for  his  purse. 

"  Three  napoleons,  sire,"  replied  the  Marchioness, 
holding  out  her  hand. 

"  I  think  you  charge  me  a  little  high,"  said  Napoleon. 

"There  is  the  account,  sire." 

"  My  linen  could  not  have  been  as  bad  as  that." 

"Much  worse — and  then  there's  the  interest." 


"True,  I  had  forgotten  that;  well,  I  will  pay  it  off;" 
the  Emperor  had  found  nothing  in  his  trousers  pockets, 
and  his  hand  returned  empty  from  his  vest  and  coat, 
and  laughingly,  he  said: 

"I  declare,  I  am  unfortunate,  I  have  not  got  three 
napoleons  about  me." 

"Very  well,  sire,  I  will  once  more  give  you  time." 

"  Many  thanks.  Now,  I  suppose  you  will  want  to  go, 
it  is  very  late;  I  declare  there  is  eleven  o'clock  striking, 
and  everybody  in  the  palace  is  asleep,  we  should 
be  in  our  beds,  too.  I  will  send  Roustan  with  you  to 
your  apartments." 

"Oh,  sire,  I  am  not  afraid;  it  would  be  impossible  for 
any  one  we  do  not  know  to  get  into  the  palace  at  night." 

"  That's  a  fact,  but  these  corridors  are  so  long  and  so 
dark,  I  think  you  had  better  have  an  escort  and  a  light," 
and  the  Emperor  raising  his  voice  called  out  "  Roustan!  " 

The  door  opened  and  the  faithful  Mameluke  appeared. 

"  Show  Madame  the  Duchess  to  her  apartments ; 
they  are  at  the  other  end  of  the  palace;  take  a  light 
with  you." 

Roustan  stepping  back  into  the  adjoining  room,  re- 
turned with  a  candelabra  and  went  through  the  door 
opening  from  the  cabinet  on  to  the  grand  gallery;  he  took 
a  few  steps  forward,  holding  the  entrance  open  that  the 
Duchess  might  follow  him,  when  just  as  she  was  about 
to  do  so,  Roustan  came  again  into  the  cabinet  and  with 
the  habitual  Oriental  calmness  and  expression  of  gravity, 
he  said: 

"  Sire,  some  one  is  in  the  gallery.  A  man  with  a  white 
coat.  He  has  gone  in  the  direction  of  the  Empress's 
apartments." 


LXIII. 

"  YOU    LIE,    MONSIEUR." 

WHEN  Roustan  announced  the  presence  of  a  man  in 
the  corrider  all  Napoleon's  vanished  anger  returned;  he 
was  pale  with  the  rage  that  filled  his  heart,  speechless 
with  the  thoughts  that  rushed  through  his  brain. 

"  A  white  coat,"  the  Mameluke  had  said. 

Who  could  it  be  among  those  wearing  the  Austrian 
uniform  that  would  be  introduced  in  this  manner  at 
night,  as  a  thief,  in  the  portion  of  the  palace  forbidden 
to  every  one.  Was  it  the  audacious  equerry  who  had 
pursued  the  Empress  with  his  attentions.  The  name 
of  Neipperg  flashed  into  the  Emperor's  mind,  but  he 
said  half  aloud  : 

"It  is  impossible.  Neipperg  is  at  Vienna.  I  am  sus- 
picious without  reason.  Have  I  become  a  fool  that  I 
should  think  always  of  the  Austrian  ?  No,  the  white 
coat  that  attracted  Roustan  is  worn  by  some  old 
Chouan,  an  accomplice  of  Cadonal,  that  Marquis  of 
Louvigne,  perhaps  sent  here  by  Fouche.  He  has  slipped 
into  the  palace,  probably  to  surprise  me  in  my  sleep, 
to  assassinate  me,  but  I  will  seize  him." 

With  the  promptitude  that  ever  distinguished  him  in 
cases  of  emergency  or  sudden  surprise,  Napoleon  blew 
out  the  candles  that  stood  upon  his  desk  and  directed 
Roustan  to  extinguish  the  lamp  and  stand  behind  the 
door  of  the  bedroom  ready  to  respond  at  the  first  call. 

The  Imperial  cabinet  was  in  darkness  save  for  the 
dying  embers  in  the  fireplace,  whose  weak  sparks  threw 
out  only  sufficient  glimmer  to  indicate  the  shadowy 
outlines  of  the  door  opening  on  to  the  gallery.  Napo- 
leon stepped  lightly  to  Catharine's  side  and  taking  her 
hand  whispered  : 

"Be  quiet  !" 


477 

The  marchioness  trembled  with  fear  and  anguish  at 
the  terrible  result  she  expected  from  this  incident  of 
which  she  alone  held  the  secret,  for  she  had  no  doubt  it 
was  Neipperg  who  had  been  seen  by  Roustan. 

"The  fool  hasn't  kept  his  promise,"  she  thought;  "he 
is  determined  to  see  the  Empress,  and  he  is  lost." 

Prostrate,  her  blood  driven  back  from  her  heart,  she 
leant  upon  the  sofa,  while  Napoleon  anxious  but  calm 
and  thoroughly  master  of  himself  listened  for  the  ap- 
proach of  one  he  believed  to  be  a  murderous  royalist. 

Some  one  came  quietly  down  the  corridor  walking 
upon  tip  toes  and  making  hardly  an  impression  upon 
the  yielding  carpet.  Quickly  and  cautiously  the  figure 
advanced  and  through  the  open  door  of  the  cabinet  the 
form  of  a  woman  was  seen.  She  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  stopping  every  few  steps  to  listen,  her  hands 
were  extended  before  her  as  though  feeling  the  way 
and  she  clutched  each  piece  of  furniture  as  she 
came  to  it  as  though  it  were  an  anchorage  in  her 
journey. 

"  Madame  de  Montebello  !  "  murmured  the  Marchio- 
ness as  she  recognized  the  Lady  of  Honor  and  at  the 
same  instant  Napoleon  squeezed  her  hand  so  fiercely  as 
almost  to  cause  her  to  cry  aloud.  The  Emperor  gazed 
eagerly  after  the  woman,  and  her  presence  in  the  cor- 
ridor, the  secrecy  of  her  movements,  the  manner  in 
which  she  looked  everywhere  than  towards  the  cabinet 
indicated  she  had  no  suspicion  the  Emperor  was  in  his 
room  or  that  any  one  was  there.  The  direction  she  was 
taking  indicated  her  object  to  reach  the  Empress's 
apartment;  at  the  moment  she  came  opposite  where  her 
watchers  were  concealed,  she  encountered  a  man  who 
stepped  from  the  deeper  shadow  of  a  pillar  and  said 
under  his  breath: 

"  Shall  I  pass  in,  Duchess  ? " 

But  Napoleon  sprang  forward  and  seizing  the  man  by 
the  throat,  shouted: 


47" 

"  Roustan  !  " 

And  the  Mameluke  followed  with  a  brilliant  lamp  in 
his  hand. 

"  Neipperg!  So  it  is  him!  "  exclaimed  Napoleon  al- 
most choked  with  anger  and  tightening  his  grasp  upon 
the  unhappy  Comte. 

A  cry  from  the  woman  was  the  only  reply  to  Napo- 
leon's words;  she  was  surprised  as  she  was  about  to  put 
the  key  in  the  lock  of  the  door  admitting  her  to  the 
Empress.  In  his  anger,  Napoleon  had  forgotten  her, 
but  now  he  said  to  the  Mameluke: 

"  Roustan,  seize  that  woman  and  hold  her  until  I  call 
you  again.  And  now  as  to  you,  monsieur,"  said  Napo- 
leon, speaking  to  Neipperg,  "  what  are  you  doing  in  my 
palace  at  night  ?  Who  let  you  in  as  though  you  were  a 
thief  ? " 

Neipperg,  very  pale  but  calm,  answered: 

"  Sire,  I  have  come  from  Vienna  !  " 

"  For  what  purpose  ?" 

"  On  the  order  of  my  sovereign." 

"  To  do  what  ? " 

"  To  carry  out  a  confidential  mission  with  Her  Majesty 
the  Empress,  also  my  sovereign." 

"Ah!  and  do  ambassadors  fulfill  their  missions  at 
midnight?  That  is  not  the  popular  hour  for  presenting 
letters." 

"It  is  the  hour  indicated  by  my  sovereign." 

"  The  Empress  has  given  you  a  rendezvous  at  mid- 
night in  her  bedroom  !  " 

"At  midnight,  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  told  me  she 
would  have  a  response  I  asked  from  her  in  the  name  of 
the  Emperor  of  Austria,  my  master." 

"  The  Empress  has  not  seen  you  to  make  any  such 
engagement.  You  lie,  monsieur." 

"  Sire,"  answered  Neipperg,  trembling  beneath  the 
insult,  "  I  am  an  Austrian  general,  I  have  the  rank  of  a 
Minister  Plenipotentiary.  I  am  here  representing  my 


479     

sovereign  to  an  Archduchess  of  Austria.  You  have  in- 
sulted me  in  your  own  palace  where  I  am  not  able  to 
respond.  Sire,  it  is  cowardly." 

"  You  miserable  hound  !  "  cried  the  Emperor,  made 


more  furious  by  the  Comte's  impertinence  in  daring  to 
use  such  language,  and  grasping  Neipperg  again  he 
said:  "  You  have  come  here  at  night,  in  my  house,  as  an 
assassin,  you  are  not  fit  to  wear  the  noble  insignia  of 
your  rank." 


480 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  menace  Napoleon,  with 
impulsive  movement,  tore  the  buttons  from  Neipperg's 
uniform.  Carried  away  by  shame  and  rage,  Neipperg's 
hand  closed  around  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  and  as  the 
blade  leaped  from  the  scabbard,  he  shouted: 

"  Damn  you  !  " 

Catharine  saw  the  movement  and  at  one  bound  threw 
herself  before  the  Emperor,  shielding  him  from  attack 
and  calling  loudly: 

"  Roustan,  come  here  !  " 

The  words  had  hardly  left  her  lips  when  Roustan  ran 
from  the  cabinet  and  flung  Neipperg  to  the  floor  where 
he  lay  powerless  beneath  the  iron  grip  of  the  slave. 
Three  other  Mamelukes,  aroused  by  the  noise,  hastened 
from  their  rooms,  and  Napoleon,  opening  another  door 
on  the  gallery,  called: 

"  Monsieur  de  Lauriston !  Monsieur  de  Brigode ! 
Monsieur  de  Remusat !  Come,  all  of  you  !  " 

In  a  few  moments  the  chamberlains  and  the  aides-de- 
camp of  the  day  were  at  the  scene. 

"  Here  is  a  man,  gentlemen,  who  has  drawn  his  sword 
on  me.  Monsieur  de  Brigode  take  his  sword,  Monsieur 
de  Lauriston,  I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  his  safe 
keeping." 

Monsieur  de  Brigode  took  the  sword,  and  Monsieur 
de  Lauriston,  laying  his  hand  on  Neipperg's  shoulder, 
said: 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Emperor  I  arrest  you,"  and  then, 
turning  to  Napoleon,  he  asked:  "Where  shall  I  take 
him,  sire  ?" 

"  Guard  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  in  the  salon  until  Due 
de  Rovigo  arrives;  he  will  take  measures  to  have  a  court- 
martial  convened  within  an  hour,  that  will  determine  the 
identity  of  the  prisoner,  and,  after  learning  of  the  at- 
tempt upon  my  person,  it  will  render  a  verdict.  At  day- 
break I  want  all  to  be  over." 


48 1 
LXIV. 

THE    DEBT    OF    THE    DUCHESS. 

THE  marchioness  was  filled  with  horror  at  the  terrible 
sentence  pronounced  by  Napoleon  and  she  sought 
vainly  through  her  mind  for  some  means  of  saving  the 
Comte.  To  intercede  with  the  Emperor  was  folly, — 
it  would  be  useless.  Neipperg  had  been  condemned 
and  there  was  nothing  to  stay  the  vengeance  of  Napo- 
leon. The  all-powerful  sovereign  would  punish  the 
outrage  committed  on  the  husband. 

Through  Catharine's  fevered  brain  there  ran  twenty 
projects  to  protect  the  unfortunate  Neipperg,  each  one 
impossible,  each  more  impracticable  than  the  other. 
She  was  discouraged,  disheartened  when  the  door 
opened  and  Lefebvre  entered.  He  was  in  full  uniform; 
his  face  wore  a  serious  expression;  it  was  apparent  that 
the  news  of  the  arrest  of  Neipperg,  which  had  been 
brought  to  him  by  an  aide,  had  pained  him. 

"  You  know,"-     —  he  said  to  his  wife. 

"Everything  !  The  unhappy  man  has  sacrificed  him- 
self. Is  there  any  possible  way  you  can  think  of  to 
persuade  the  Emperor  to  stop  the  execution?" 

"  None.  The  Emperor  has  spoken.  In  my  position 
as  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  it  will  unfortunately  fall  to 
me  to  preside  at  the  court-martial  that  will  pass  upon 
the  Comte's  guilt. 

"  And  shall  you  obey  ? " 

"  Is  it  for  me  to  disobey  the  Emperor?  " 

"  You  know  Comte  de  Neipperg  saved  my  life  at 
Jemmapes,  where  I,  too,  would  have  been  shot  but  for 
him  and  without  his  intercession  I  certainly  would  not 
be  here  now." 

"  Yes,  we  have  contracted  a  debt  to  the  Comte,  but  I 
remember  he  would  have  been  killed  also  but  for  you 


482 


on  the  morning  of  the  loth  of  August.  That  squares 
accounts.  Thunder  !  and  I  can  do  nothing  for  him,  my 
duty  will  not  permit  me.  There  are  moments  when  it  is 
painful  to  live  up  to  one's  duty,  and  the  obedience  of 
discipline  is  difficult.  I  shall  execute  the  order  of  the 
Emperor  but  he  must  select  some  one  else  to  carry  it 
out." 

"  But  I,  I  am  not  Marshal  of  the  Palace;  I  have  no 
duties  to  fulfill,  no  orders  to  execute;  I  am  a  woman; 
I  pity  the  unfortunate  man.  You  speak  of  a  debt,  Le- 
febvre;  it  is  the  cantiniere  who  owes  it;  the  marchioness 
will  pay  it." 

"What  shall  you  do  ?" 

"The  impossible!  See  here,  Lefebvre,  who  is  it  that 
can  reach  the  Empress  ?" 

"At  present,  no  one.     Those  orders  are  imperative." 

"  What,  no  means  of  getting  a  word  to  her!  One 
word! " 

"  None!  I  alone  am  authorized,  to  approach  the  door 
pose  of  assuring  myself  that  the  sentinels  are  at  their 
of  Her  Majesty's  apartments,  and  then  only  for  the  pur- 
post." 

"  That  is  sufficient.  You  must  help  me,  Lefebvre," 
said  Catharine  enthusiastically. 

"How  can  I?" 

"  I  will  tell  you.  You  can  approach  closely  to  the 
door  of  her  room." 

"  Easily." 

"  You  can  say  something  before  the  door;  she  will 
recognize  your  voice,  and  the  presence  of  a  marshal 
there  in  the  night  will  attract  her  attention;  she  will 
seek  to  discover  what  it  means;  she  will  probably  send 
out  a  maid.  You  understand." 

"  Partly,  and  why  should  I  make  this  attempt  to  at- 
tract her  attention;  what  is  it  you  want  me  to  do,  then  ? " 

"  Say,  in  a  loud  voice  to  the  sentinel,  '  Have  you  seen 
any  one  coming  from  the  Empress's  room,  some  person 


who  is  bringing  a  letter  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria?' 
If  you  utter  the  name  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria  suffi- 
ciently loud  she  will  hear  it." 

"  I  do  not  understand  what  you  are  trying  to  do,  ex- 
plain it  to  me." 

"  It  is  useless  to  waste  the  time  now;  minutes  are 
hours  under  the  circumstances;  but  go,  go  quicklj'  and 
do  as  I  ask  you." 

And  as  Lefebvre  hesitated,  wondering  in  his  mind 
what  this  mission  was  given  him  by  his  wife,  Catharine 
repeated: 

"  Remember,  pronounce  the  name  of  the  Emperor  of 
Austria  loud  enough  to  be  heard." 

Lefebvre  hastened  down  the  galleries  leading  to  the 
apartments  of  Marie  Louise,  and  the  Marchioness 
slipped  out  into  the  corridors  to  find  some  one  from 
whom  she  could  gather  information  as  to  the  present 
disposition  of  the  prisoner.  She  sought  the  palace 
officials  and  the  aides-de-camp,  asking  them  all  where 
Neipperg  had  been  taken,  but  failed  to  learn  anything 
concerning  the  unhappy  man.  She  had  gone  down  as  far 
as  the  entrance  to  the  Emperor's  cabinet,  when  the  door 
opened  and  Monsieur  de  Lauriston  appeared,  saying: 

"  What  can  be  the  matter  with  the  Minister  of  Police; 
why  has  he  not  yet  reached  here?  He  must  know  what 
has  happened." 

•The  Minister  of  Police  knows  nothing,"  said  a 
squeaking  sarcastic  voice,  which  Catharine  recognized, 
and  came  forward,  saying: 

••  Ah,  Monsieur  Fouche,  have  you  dropped  down 
from  Heaven !  ** 

"  Most  people  suppose  me  to  be  anchored  in  the  other 
place,"  replied  the  former  Minister  of  Police.  "What 
can  I  do  for  you?" 

"  You  can  do  me  an  enormous  service." 

••And  what  is  it?  You  know  I  have  always  had  a 
deep  affection  for  you,  I  may  say  we  are  old  friends. 


484 

You  knew  me  when  I  walked  the  streets  of  Paris  with 
no  other  fortune  than  ambition  and  revolutionary  senti- 
ments; I  have  seen  you  a  washerwoman  and  now  I  see 
you  a  Duchess." 

"And  I  have  seen  you  Minister  of  Police." 

"  I  was,  and  I  shall  be  there  again,"  answered  Fouche 
with  a  satirical  smile,  "but  how  can  I  be  of  service  to 
you  just  now,  my  dear  Duchess  ?" 

"  You  know  what  has  happened  to  Monsieur  de  Neip- 
Perg?" 

"  Yes,  they  are  only  waiting  for  Savary  to  shoot  him." 

"  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  must  not  be  killed.  Due,  I 
count  upon  you  to  help  me  save  him." 

"  On  me!  and  why  the  devil  should  you  count  on  me? 
Monsieur  de  Neipperg  is  an  Austrian  and  a  declared 
enemy  of  the  Emperor;  he  is  not  my  friend,  he  is  no 
relation,  I  do  not  see  at  all  why  I  should  concern  myself 
with  him,  a  criminal,  a  fool  who  throws  himself  in  the 
arms  of  a  Mameluke  because  he  wants  to  get  a  pretty 
woman." 

"  My  dear  Fouche,  you  do  not  know  " 

"  Then  why  should  I  learn  ?  Prove  to  me  that  I  have 
any  interest  in  wasting  my  time  with  M.  de  Neipperg, 
and,  of  course,  I  will  change  my  views  and  place  myself 
at  your  disposal." 

The  sudden  arrest  of  Neipperg  had,  in  fact,  rather 
interfered  with  the  projects  of  Fouche,  who  had  counted 
on  making  a  little  capital  by  surprising  the  foolish 
equerry  and  delivering  him  up  to  the  Emperor.  The 
words  of  the  Duchess  revived  the  hope  that  had  been 
dashed  that  he  might  make  capital  out  of  the  scandalous 
infamy. 

"  And  what  interest  have  you,  my  dear  Duchess  ?" 
Fouche  demanded,  in  an  insinuating  voice,  "  to  ask  me 
to  concern  myself  with  Monsieur  de  Neipperg?" 

"  A  considerable  interest.  You  wish  to  be  restored 
to  your  position  as  Minister  of  Police  ?  " 


485     

"  Oh,  entirely  for  the  good  of  the  State  and  the  safety 
of  the  Emperor." 

"  Very  well,  the  opportunity  is  offered  you.  Save  M. 
de  Neipperg  "— 

"  And  expose  myself  to  being  exiled  by  His  Majesty?  " 

"  Not  at  all!  Understand  me  now;  there  is  not  the 
slightest  intrigue  between  the  Empress  and  Monsieur 
de  Neipperg." 

"  Not  even  a  little  intrigue  ?  " 

"  Do  you  doubt  me  ? " 

"  Never!  Then  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  can  establish 
his  innocence." 

"  He  cannot  if  left  to  himself." 

"  Who  can  ?  " 

"  The  Empress  !  " 

"  That  is  certainly  reasonable;  she  is  the  most  inter- 
ested. Well,  what  can  we  do  about  it  ?" 

"  If  you  can  delay  this  court-martial,  put  off  the  exe- 
cution, keep  Savary  out  of  the  way,  if  the  Empress  can 
be  seen,  we  can  save  him." 

"  And  then  ?  " 

"  The  Empress  when  she  knows  it  is  due  to  you  that 
this  object  has  been  gained  she  will  use  her  influence 
with  the  Emperor  to  have  you  reinstated;  she  can  easily 
protest  against  the  injustice  you  have  been  the  victim 
of,  and  persuade  Napoleon  to  restore  you  to  the  func- 
tions from  which  you  were  removed." 

"  By  Heavens,  you  have  almost  convinced  me,  Duch- 
ess," said  Fouche,  opening  his  snuff-box,  and  taking  a 
large  pinch  as  was  his  custom  when  some  weighty 
thought  was  occupying  his  mind.  "That  is  perfectly 
reasonable,  and  I  will  try  to  save  this  poor  Monsieur  de 
Neipperg  from  Savary." 

"What  will  you  do?" 

"  I  shall  see  the  Emperor." 

At  this  moment  Constant,  the  valet  of  the  Emperor, 
emerged  from  the  cabinet  hastening  to  the  Duke  of 


486 

Rovigo  with  the  information  that  his  master  awaited 
him  impatiently. 

"  Will  you  say  to  His  Majesty  I  am  here,  my  good 
Constant,"  said  Fouch£  advancing  and  speaking  in  his 
most  agreeable  and  persuasive  voice,  "  will  you  also 
kindly  say  to  His  Majesty  that  I  ask  a  moment's  audi- 
ence." 

Constant,  who  was  under  many  obligations  to  the  ex- 
Minister,  bowed  in  response  and  returned  to  convey  the 
word  to  Napoleon. 

"  If  Savary  puts  off  his  coming  ten  minutes  longer, 
and  I  can  speak  to  the  Emperor,  Monsieur  de  Neipperg 
will  be  out  of  danger,"  said  Fouche. 

"  What  argument  shall  you  use  ?  " 

"  I  shall  represent  to  His  Majesty  that  it  will  be  im- 
possible to  carry  out  this  execution;  it  will  be  without 
legal  precedure,  almost  without  proper  judgment,  a  man 
surprised  at  night  in  the  palace — why,  it  will  be  received 
with  ridicule,  and  it  will  compromise  the  Empress  out- 
rageously. It  will  irritate  the  Austrian  Court,  and 
it  will  justify  at  the  same  time  all  the  scandalous  stories 
that  have  been  published  concerning  the  pretended 
intimacy  of  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  and  Marie  Louise." 

"  But  how  will  you  explain  Neipperg's  presence  in 
the  palace?" 

"  A  conspiracy  !  " 

"  But  it  will  be  necessary  that  you  shall  show  the 
existence  of  one." 

"  Well,  that  is  not  difficult,  a  good  Minister  of  Police 
always  has  two  or  three  in  reserve.  I  have  in  hand  the 
elements  of  two  very  pretty  plots,  mixed  up  with  the 
republicans,  Lahorie,  Malet,  the  Philadelphes,  but,  of 
course,  they  would  not  do  with  the  Comte  de  Neipperg, 
an  Austrian  general  and  a  most  aristocratic  diplomat.  We 
will  have  to  embroil  him  with  the  Jacobins.  No,  I  guess 
it  would  be  preferable  to  have  him  in  a  royalist  scheme 
with  the  Comte  de  Provence." 


487     

"  But  a  conspiracy  is  very  serious,  suppose  it  should 
be  proven  ? " 

"  Well,  but  when  there  is  no  conspiracy,  how  can  it 
be  proven,  after  all?"  said  Fouche  with  a  skeptical  smile. 
"The  Emperor  will  be  curious  and  he  will  keep  the  man 
alive  to  discover  the  proofs,  and  all  that  will  gain  time; 
we  certainly  have  no  choice  of  means;  we  must  make  use 
of  what  is  nearest  at  hand.  Ah,  here  is  Constant  coming 
back.  Will  His  Majesty  receive  me  ? " 

"  His  Majesty  replies  that  he  will  receive  the  Duke 
d'Otranto  after  he  has  seen  the  Duke  of  Rovigo." 

Fouche  made  a  violent  gesture  of  disappointment  and 
chagrin,  and  exclaimed: 

"  His  Majesty  couldn't  have  said  that !  " 

"  His  Majesty  did  say:  'I  am  in  no  hurry  to  receive 
the  Duke  d'Otranto,  it  is  probably  some  story  of  a  con- 
spiracy he  wants  to  tell  me,  what  concerns  me  first  is  to 
finish  with  Monsieur  de  Neipperg.'  And  so,  Duke,  I  am 
going  to  summon  the  Duke  of  Rovigo." 

But  before  Constant  could  leave  the  palace,  Savary 
had  entered  excited  and  out  of  breath,  and  rushing 
down  the  gallery,  he  met  Fouche,  stopping  long  enough 
to  ask: 

"  What  is  it  ?  Do  you  know  why  the  Emperor  has  called 
me  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  you,  who  pretend  to 
know  everything  !  Have  you  been  filling  His  Majesty's 
brain  with  some  of  your  wierd  stories  about  a  military 
conspiracy  ? " 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  Fouche  in  his  indifferent  manner, 
"  His  Majesty  is  concerned  with  Monsieur  de  Neipperg, 
you  know  that  former  equerry." 

"Monsieur  de  Neipperg!  Why  he  is  resting  in  peace 
in  Vienna;  hunting,  fishing,  playing  the  flute.  I  have 
just  received  a  report  detailing  all  his  movements, 
and  it  tells  me  he  is  now  living  in  the  environs  of 
Vienna." 

"  Ah,  my  dear   successor,  communicate   that    to  the 


Emperor  and  he  will  be  gratified  and  will  compli- 
ment you  upon  the  thoroughness  of  your  infor- 
mation." 

"Oh,  there  is  no  great  merit  in  it;  I  shall  simply 
go  in  and  announce  that  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  is  at 
Vienna;  that  is  all." 

And  Savary,  with  proud  confidence  entered  the  Em- 
peror's cabinet. 

"Well,  my  little  conspiracy  scheme  is  knocked  out," 
said  Fouche  to  the  Marchioness;  "  I  must  find  something 
else." 

"Yes;  think  of  something,  quick!" 

"  I  have  another  expedient,  not  very  good,  but  we 
must  try  it  Does  Monsieur  de  Neipperg  know  your 
writing?  Good;  now  write  what  I  tell  you  to.'' 

Fouche  taking  a  paper  and  a  pencil  dictated  to  Catha- 
rine who  wrote  with  considerable  difficulty,  owing  to 
the  inconveniences  of  the  moment,  two  lines  in  which 
she  told  Neipperg  to  stand  by  the  window  which  he 
was  to  open  quietly  so  as  not  to  excite  the  attention  of 
his  guards. 

"Now  send  him  this  paper,"  said  Fouche,  "and  ex- 
plain to  the  guard  it  is  simply  for  Neipperg  to  write  to 
his  mother  before  he  is  shot,  they  certainly  will  not  re- 
fuse that." 

The  Marchioness  sought  Monsieur  de  Lauriston,  who 
acceded  to  the  request  and  undertook  to  get  the  paper 
to  the  Comte  without  delay, 

Fouche,  quietly  and  without  attracting  attention, 
stepped  aside  and  quickly  disappeared  down  the  corri- 
dor. The  Marchioness  said  in  a  loud  voice: 

"  M.  de  Brigode,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  request 
the  Emperor's  permission  for  me  to  retire,  or  ask  him  if 
he  wishes  me  to  remain  within  call." 

"  The  Emperor  wishes  to  speak  with  you,"  Napoleon 
himself  replied. 

"  Sire,   I   am   at   your  orders,"   Catharine   responded 


489       

rather  startled  at  the  unexpected  voice  of  the  Emperor 
whom  she  believed  to  be  in  his  cabinet. 

"  You  understand  this  time,  I  hope,"  said  Napoleon  to 
Savary  as  the  Emperor  and  minister  parted  at  the 
door  and  the  Marchioness  passed  through  the  cabinet. 
Don't  make  your  usual  mistakes.  Go  !  " 

"Sire,  a  grave  shall  be  dug  in  the  forest  and  within 
three  hours,  that  is  at  sunrise,  the  culprit  shall  be 
buried  and  no  mark  left  to  indicate  where  he  lies,"  the 
Duke  of  Rovigo  answered  saluting  and  withdrawing. 

"  Now  we  two,  said  the  Emperor  dryly  as  he  closed 
the  door  behind  Catharine  and  looked  at  her  in  his 
earnest  manner,  "  or  rather  I  should  say  we  three,  for 
Madame  de  Montebello  will  join  us,  we  can  talk  by  our- 
selves." 

The  Lady  of  Honor  was  sobbing  in  the  fauteuil,  her 
face  buried  in  her  hands,  the  picture  of  despair  and  lost 
hope.  Napoleon  seating  himself  so  he  could  watch 
every  change  of  expression  on  the  part  of  the  ladies, 
rapidly  interrogated  them  in  his  own  imperative  way. 
He  asked  one  question  after  another  with  confusing 
rapidity,  striving  to  detect  them  in  a  misstatement  or 
trap  them  in  an  avowal  or  disclosure. 

Madame  de  Montebello  had  introduced  Neipperg  to 
the  Palace  and  was  conducting  him  to  the  Empress's 
apartments ;  Marchioness  Lefebvre  had  talked  with 
Neipperg,  for  during  his  stay  in  France  the  comte  had 
frequently  visited  at  Lefebvre's  home,  in  fact,  there  had 
been  rumor  of  an  intrigue  between  Catharine  and  the 
Comte.  Napoleon  used  every  argument,  brought  up 
every  incident  he  could  recall  to  unearth  the  secret  he 
believed  existed  yet  feared  to  learn,  but  uncertainty  was 
torture  and  the  dread  of  the  truth  was  almost  equalled 
by  the  anguish  of  doubt.  The  torments  of  his  mind 
were  killing,  the  thoughts  of  Marie  Louise  having  de- 
ceived him,  of  leaving  him,  caused  that  poignant  suffer- 
ing to  which  only  such  an  imaginative  brain  is  liable. 


49°     

And  yet  he  continued  with  the  tenacity  of  an  inquisitor 
to  press  question  after  question  upon  the  ladies,  fixing 
his  eyes  intently  on  them  as  though  he  would  read  their 
secret  thoughts  from  the  expression  of  their  faces. 

"  Then  you  think,  Duchess,  that  I  am  the  victim  of  a 
delusion  in  thus  suspecting  the  presence  of  M.  de  Neip- 
perg  here  at  night  ?"  said  the  Emperor  in  a  somewhat 
less  irritated  tone.  "  You  really  believe  that  Madame 
de  Montebello  has  spoken  the  truth  when  she  stated 
that  her  errand  was  to  deliver  to  M.  de  Neipperg  a  con- 
fidential letter  intended  for  my  father-in-law  ?  " 

"  Sire,  I  am  convinced  it  is  the  truth,  nothing  but  the 
truth,"  replied  Catharine. 

"  I  wish  I  could  believe  it  were  true,"  Napoleon 
murmured. 

"  But,  sire,  you  have  the  means  of  verifying  the  state- 
ment of  Madame  de  Montebello." 

"Tell  me  the  means." 

"  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  is  sleeping.  She  knows 
nothing  of  what  has  happened  in  the  palace." 

"  Nothing!  Secrecy  and  silence  have  been  kept,  and 
I  posted  sentinels  around  her  door  so  none  might 
approach  either  her  or  her  ladies." 

"Very  well,  sire;  assume  that  you  have  discovered 
nothing  and  permit  Madame  de  Montebello  to  terminate 
her  errand  under  your  own  eyes,  then  you  can  determine 
the  truth  or  falsity  of  her  statement." 

"Really,  Duchess,  you  have  good  ideas  and  I  will  test 
it  as  you  suggest.  Only,"  he  continued,  seizing  Madame 
de  Montebello  by  the  arm,  clutching  it  fiercely,  "  you 
want  to  be  very  careful  that  you  do  not  try  any  double 
game,  madame.  Not  one  word,  not  a  gesture  that  would 
warn  the  Empress.  Go!  I  shall  watch  you  !  " 

At  the  Emperor's  order  the  Lady  of  Honor  was 
permitted  to  pass  the  sentinels  and  enter  the  apartment 
of  the  Empress;  her  limbs  were  trembling,  her  heart 
was  racked  with  fear,  for  she  was  not  conscious  that 


491     

Marie  Louise  had  been  warned  by  hearing  the  loud 
voice  of  Lefebvre  addressing  the  guards  and  directing 
that  any  letter  coming  from  the  Empress  and  addressed 
to  the  Emperor  of  Austria  should  be  taken  at  once  to 
Napoleon. 

Napoleon,  his  mind  feverish  and  his  hands  clasping 
impulsively,  stood  with  his  arm  resting  on  the  back  of  a 
chair,  his  eyes  staring  towards  Marie  Louise's  bedroom, 
where  Madame  de  Montebello  had  entered  and  was 
then  saying  to  the  Empress,  in  a  sufficiently  loud  voice 
for  Napoleon  to  overhear: 

"  Madame,  M.  de  Neipperg,  who  sends  me  for  the  reply 
you  promised  him,  is  in  the  ante-chamber  waiting.  What 
shall  I  tell  him  ?  " 

The  Empress  started  as  one  aroused  from  sleep, 
stretched  her  arms  and  reaching  to  a  table  standing  be- 
side her  bed,  she  took  a  sealed  letter  and  handed  it  to 
Madame  de  Montebello,  saying: 

•'  Here  is  my  reply.  Present  my  compliments  to  M.  de 
Neipperg  and  excuse  me  to  him  because  I  am  so  sleepy." 

The  Lady  of  Honor  hastily  withdrew  and  handed  the 
letter  to  Napoleon. 

"  My  dear  Louise,"  he  exclaimed,  "she  does  love  me." 
"  Then  speaking  to  the  two  ladies  he  added: 

"  You  are  right,  ladies,  not  one  word  that  would 
alarm  a  jealous  husband,  nothing  but  politics.  A  word 
only  of  M.  de  Neipperg,  my  dear  Louise  asks  her  father 
to  select  another  messenger  hereafter  as  the  presence 
of  the  Comte  at  my  Court  is  not  acceptable  and  is 
commented  upon  by  the  papers.  Ah,  Duchess,  I  am 
indeed  happy,"  and  Napoleon's  joyous  voice  verified  his 
words. 

"  Now,  sire,  that  your  fears  are  allayed,"  said  Catha- 
rine as  Napoleon  playfully  pinched  her  cheek,  "  I  hope 
you  will  countermand  your  orders  for  a  court-martial 
to  try  M.  de  Neipperg." 

"  Yes,  if  he  will  leave  at  once  and  follow  the  advice  of 


49*     ' 

the  Empress,  if  he  will  get  out  of  France.  And  yet,  he 
is  evidently  the  victim  of  my  father-in-law's  desire  to 
know  whether  I  make  his  daughter  happy.  Well,  you 
go  and  see  M.  de  Neipperg." 

And  the  Emperor  forgot  his  suspicions,  the  smile  re- 
turned to  his  lips,  his  anger  disappeared.  He  called  M. 
de  Remusat. 

"  Take  M.  de  Neipperg's  sword,  it  is  on  my  desk  and 
carry  it  to  him.  Advise  him  to  make  better  use  of  it 
hereafter." 

"  And  what  further  ?  " 

"  Conduct  M.  de  Neipperg  to  his  carriage  and  wish 
him  bon  voyage.  M.  de  Neipperg  is  free." 

"  M.  de  Neipperg  is  dead  !  "  said  a  voice  behind  the 
Chamberlain.  It  was  Savary  who  had  entered,  accom- 
panied by  his  aides  and  officers. 

"Dead!  You  have  already  shot  him?"  exclaimed 
the  Emperor.  "Why  such  haste?  You  were  directed 
to  wait  until  daybreak  ?  " 

"  Sire,  that  was  my  intention,  but  M.  de  Neipperg  tried 
to  escape.  He  got  out  through  the  window  but  for- 
tunately a  guard  was  posted  there.  A  carriage  was 
awaiting  him  near  by  and  the  guards  seized  him  and 
drove  to  the  place  of  execution  in  the  forest  where  he 
was  shot.  The  Duke  d'Otranto  was  there  " 

"  Entirely  by  chance,  Your  Majesty,"  said  Fouche. 

"The  Duke  will  assure  Your  Majesty  that  everything 
occurred  as  I  have  had  the  honor  to  report." 

"You  have  made  a  sad  mistake,"  said  the  Emperor. 
"  I  was  about  to  release  M.  de  Neipperg;  he  came  here,  I 
know  now,  as  a  courier  simply.  Is  that  not  so,  Fouche  ? " 

"  It  is,  Your  Majesty.  If  I  had  had  the  honor  to  have 
been  yet  Minister  of  Police,  I  should  have  believed  an 
error  had  been  made,  that  the  Emperor  had  been  mis- 
informed " 

"  It  is  regretable  you  were  not  Minister,"  Napoleon 
interrupted. 


493 

"  Sire,  pardon  me,  because  I  acted  as  though  I  were." 
replied  Fouche. 

"How  so?" 

"Convinced  there  had  been  a  mistake  made  and  that 
Your  Majesty  would  be  persuaded  of  the  innocence  of 
all  the  parties  involved  and  would  regret  that  in  a 
moment  of  anger  you  had  shown  no  mercy  to  M.  de  Neip- 
perg,  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  give  the  officers  an  order 
— they  are  all  men  I  know  and  can  trust — I  ordered 
them  to  turn  their  back  on  the  forest  so  soon  as  they 
had  M.  de  Neipperg  in  the  carriage,  and  start  him  on  the 
road  for  Soissons — that  is  what  I  did  as  though  I  were 
yet  Minister  of  Police." 

"You  have  done  well !"  cried  the  Emperor,  delighted 
at  this  solution  of  the  dilemma. 

"  The  officers  obeyed  me,  sire,  so  well  that  M.  de  Neip- 
perg is  not  dead,  as  has  been  stated  to  Your  Majesty  by 
the  Duke  of  Rovigo,  who  is  not  always  exact  in  his 
information,  but  he  is  galloping  towards  Soissons 
where  he  will  arrive  after  breakfast." 

"  My  compliments,  Duke,  you  are  a  valuable  agent. 
You  have  understood  me  where  no  one  else  could.  But 
tell  me,  how  did  you  know  I  would  pardon  the 
man  ?" 

"  Well,  sire,  after  having  talked  with  the  Duchess  of 
Danzig  " 

"  But  suppose  I  had  persisted  in  my  determination, 
you  then  would  have  been  assisting  a  State  prisoner  to 
escape,  and  that  is  a  serious  offense." 

"  Sire,  I  sent  officers  on  in  advance,  who  are  now  wait- 
ing at  Soissons  to  hear  from  me  by  courier  before  they 
permit  M.  de  Neipperg  to  continue  his  journey." 

"You  are  the  devil,  you  provide  for  everything,"  the 
Emperor  murmured,  all  his  good  humor  displaying 
itself  and  stepping  to  the  side  of  the  Marchioness,  he 
continued  : 

"  I    believe  it  is  time,  Duchess,  that   you    should  re- 


494 

turn  to  your  husband;  as  for  me,  I  shall  join  the  Em- 
press and  assure  her  that  her  letter  left  for  Vienna." 

Marshal  Lefebvre  agitated  and  showing  evidences  of 
his  grief  entered  the  room  and  saluting  Napoleon  asked 
for  his  orders  for  the  court-martial. 

"  The  Emperor  has  pardoned  him,"  cried  Catharine, 
"  and  he'll  never  ask  us  again  to  be  divorced." 

"  Bravo,  and  thanks,  sire  !  "  said  the  Marshal. 

"  Lefebvre,  when  a  man  has  a  wife  like  that  he  should 
take  good  care  of  her,"  the  Emperor  said,  squeezing 
the  arm  of  the  Duchess. 

Happy  in  the  confidence  that  Marie  Louise  had  not 
forgotten  her  vows,  pleased  at  having  pardoned  and 
satisfied  that  Neipperg,  thanks  to  Fouche,  had  escaped 
the  bullets  of  Savary,  Napoleon  seizing  Catharine 
around  the  waist  embraced  her  ardently  to  the  great 
surprise  of  the  officers,  and  said: 

"  Good  night,  Madame  Sans-Gene  !  " 

And  his  heart  filled  with  joy,  he  entered  the  bed- 
chamber of  Marie  Louise. 


THE    END. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  775  627     3 


